According to reports, Krunal Pandya is under serious consideration for India’s T20I squad ahead of the three-match series against Afghanistan. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee meets on September 3 to finalize the squad, and the 35-year-old RCB all-rounder’s name is firmly in the conversation, per a Times of India report by Sahil Malhotra.
If selected, this would mark Krunal Pandya’s return to international cricket after a five-year absence. His last T20I appearance came in July 2021 during India’s tour of Sri Lanka. He played 19 T20Is in total between 2018 and 2021, picking up 15 wickets and scoring 124 runs.
The trigger behind this discussion is Axar Patel’s underwhelming returns across India’s recent T20I assignments. Axar managed just 4 wickets in 7 T20Is across the England and Ireland tours earlier this year. For a player who had cemented himself as India’s first-choice left-arm spinning all-rounder after Ravindra Jadeja’s T20I retirement post the 2024 World Cup, those numbers prompted the selection panel to explore alternatives.
Krunal’s case rests almost entirely on his IPL 2026 season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He took 14 wickets and scored 226 runs at a strike rate of 145.81. He reached the milestone of 100 IPL wickets on April 15 against Lucknow Super Giants. He played a central role in RCB’s back-to-back title wins in 2025 and 2026, finishing with five IPL trophies across his career. He also developed a faster delivery clocking 126 km/h, a genuine addition to his left-arm orthodox bowling that changes matchups in the middle overs.
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Krunal vs Axar: The Selection Equation
The raw international numbers still favor Axar heavily. But the IPL trend over the last five seasons tells a different story in the bowling column.
IPL 2022-2026:
| Metric | Krunal Pandya | Axar Patel |
|---|---|---|
| Runs | 839 | 1,136 |
| Wickets | 56 | 44 |
| 2026 Wickets | 14 | 11 |
International career:
| Format | Krunal | Axar |
|---|---|---|
| T20Is | 19 matches, 15 wickets | 101 matches, 101 wickets |
| ODIs | 5 matches, 2 wickets | 74 matches, 80 wickets |
Axar’s international record dwarfs Krunal’s. The selectors are not comparing careers. They are comparing current form and recent output, and on that measure, Krunal has outperformed Axar with the ball since 2022.
“When I was a kid of 6-7 years of age, I wanted to play for the country. Still, it has not changed. 100 per cent, the goal is to play for the country. The next year, we have a World Cup coming. I hope to keep doing well, fingers crossed. Let us hope that I get that opportunity. It would be special for me and my family.”
Krunal Pandya, post-match interview, May 10, 2026
The three T20Is against Afghanistan are scheduled for September 13, 15, and 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Shreyas Iyer is expected to captain. The squad is likely to mirror the Asian Games roster with minor adjustments. Hardik Pandya remains unavailable due to back spasms and quadriceps issues. Nitish Kumar Reddy is nursing a left quadriceps injury. Jasprit Bumrah continues his recovery from a lingering left knee problem.
Insider Read
Coming back to the international arena after half a decade is rarely about fitness or raw form. It is about adjusting to the unforgiving pace of the highest level. Dominating an IPL season against domestic middle orders is one thing. Facing an international T20 side that explicitly constructs its engine room to counter attack spin is entirely different.
The margin for error vanishes. A player who has been away for five years does not just need to prove his skill. He has to completely re-calibrate his tactical reading of the game and re-earn his nerve under the pressure of the India cap.
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