When India dished out two wrist spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, in the same team post the Champions Trophy in 2017, eyebrows were raised. With that experiment temporarily shelved, India chose to play Krunal Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in the same team on more than one occasion in the series against West Indies.
Both left-arm spinners, Krunal and Jadeja have very similar traits as cricketers. They are both exceptional athletes, tight bowlers and flashy batsmen. But can India persist with the two of them cometh the T20 World Cup next year in Australia? Unlikely.
This right now is most likely an experiment, a one-on-one face-off before the actual decision is made a few months down the lane. As things stand, though, Krunal Pandya seems to be edging ahead in the race despite Jadeja's experience.
Since his debut in 2018, Krunal has played in every single T20I India have played and has been a pivotal part of their plans with both bat and ball. He has not only lent a stable hand down the order with the bat but has also altered between being a middle-overs bowler and a handy powerplay bowler for India.
Since his debut, no other player from the top 10 T20I teams aside from Krunal has more than 100 runs and 10-plus wickets. This establishes Krunal's all-round worth in the side.
He trumps Jadeja in terms of batting ability, as he time and again proved in the Indian T20 League with the Mumbai franchise, and is also much better at picking wickets as compared to Jadeja. While Krunal strikes every 23rd ball on an average, Jadeja takes four more balls on an average in this format. Even his overall T20 record is better than Jadeja's.
Add in a superior batting quality and flexibility in terms of batting position and Krunal trumps Jadeja hands down. He has already started showcasing his value in this format for India across countries. Having played in India, Australia, New Zealand, USA and now West Indies, Krunal has been consistent with his performances.
If anything, he needs to leash in his economy rate a touch. But given that these are early stages still, there's time for corrections and as it stands, he should walk into India's T20I side ahead of Jadeja for the sheer flexibility in terms of the role he offers.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Randy Brooks & Ishara S. Kodikara
