Indian all-rounder Krunal Pandya is in the headlines since Tuesday when he made his One-Day International debut against England during the opening ODI at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Consequently, he played a record-breaking unbeaten knock of 58.A day later, he is celebrating his 30th birthday. On the same note, we present some of the unknown facts about Hardik Pandya's elder brother.
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CoachingKrunal began his coaching under former Indian cricketer Kiran More and Jitender Singh. He trained with Hardik at the Kiran More Cricket Academy in Baroda after relocating from Surat. Unlike his brother, Krunal primarily focussed on his bowling.
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Krunal inspired Hardik for cricketBeing his senior, Krunal was the first to begin his cricketing career. While Krunal started practising at the academy, Hardik used just casually to play around. However, Hardik was soon spotted by More upon Krunal's advise, leading to the former being called up to the academy.
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Krunal made his professional debut after HardikBe it domestic or international cricket, despite being the senior-most, Krunal began his professional cricketing career after his brother. Nonetheless, it has all gone well so far, as the duo is nailing it in all circuits.(Image courtesy: BCCI)
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Krunal fetched more than Hardik during IPL auctionWhile Hardik was roped in during the 2015 IPL Auction by Mumbai Indians for a base price of ₹10 lakh, the following season, Krunal fetched 20 times the same base price by the same team and was picked up for a whopping ₹2 crore. Nonetheless, he has since delivered.
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Most of his career suffered due to shoulder injuryThe saddest part of his career was when he lost some time of his career due to a shoulder injury he suffered between 2016-18. Nevertheless, he has since made a remarkable comeback, besides ensuring a healthy lifestyle, including quitting smoking.(Image courtesy: BCCI)
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