This is not the first time Krunal Pandya has been criticized for his on-field behavior; before, he was criticized for hurling abuses at his Ranji and current IPL teammate Deepak Hooda, and he even threw a cream tube at a MI teammate. Parthiv Patel recently chastised him for his behavior during last night’s match.
Parthiv Patel, a former India and Mumbai Indians (MI) cricketer, has criticized Krunal Pandya for handing all-rounder Kieron Pollard an unusual dismissal during Sunday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 encounter between the Rohit Sharma-led team and newcomers Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). When Rohit & Co. faced the KL Rahul-led Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, the stakes were high and the Mumbai Indians were battling for survival.
Pollard faced former Mumbai Indians teammate Krunal in the last over of Mumbai’s innings. Krunal chose to press a kiss on Pollard’s head after the latter was removed in the 20th over by the LSG spinner. Pollard, who struck a disgruntled figure after his expulsion, remained silent following Krunal’s memorable send-off during the high-voltage encounter between Mumbai and Lucknow.
Krunal’s joy after Pollard’s wicket quickly became online chatter. While Pollard has stayed mum over the viral celebration, Patel, a former MI player, has blasted the LSG all-rounder for his ‘absurd’ send-off. Patel stated to Cricbuzz why Krunal did not need to participate in on-field banter with his old MI colleague.
“Krunal and Pollard are excellent friends, but on the pitch, things are different. Pollard has struggled to score runs. Additionally, Mumbai has been on a losing streak. At that time, it’s critical to give individuals space. You may have as much banter as you like in the dressing room for the whole year. However, I believe this response was over the head,” Patel added. Pollard’s exit created an opening for Lucknow to secure a much-needed victory against Mumbai. On Sunday, five-time champions Mumbai lost their eighth consecutive loss of the season. With Lucknow extending Mumbai’s losing streak to eight games, Rohit and Co. are officially eliminated from this season’s postseason chase. Former Indian cricketer RP Singh expressed similar comments, opining that Pollard’s send-off should have been prevented.
“Nobody enjoys defeat. When a player is not doing well, such actions should be avoided. You have no idea what feelings he is experiencing. What if he (Pollard) had reacted? He was returning upset at his inability to win matches, and Krunal’s response was obviously excessive,” the former Indian bowler remarked.
