IPL 2018 Auction, Top Prospects: Krunal Pandya Can Set The Dais On Fire

Krunal Pandya was out of action for almost a year due to a shoulder injury in 2015 but that did not stop Mumbai Indians (MI) from bidding for the young Baroda all-rounder the following year. Mumbai Indians spent Rs. 2 crore for Krunal in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 Auction and the left-arm spinner didn't disappoint. He scored 237 runs in IPL 2016 and also picked up six wickets to announce his arrival in the Indian Premier League. The following year saw the 26-year old score 243 runs and pick up 10 wickets that helped MI win their third IPL title.

Having already retained Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah, MI will go all the way in order to get Krunal in the players' auction to be held in Bengaluru on January 27-28.

Krunal was more than impressive with his left-arm spin in the last two editions and more importantly, he was economical in most of the matches he has played in the league. With the bat, Krunal can be used as a floater in the batting line-up and has the ability to change his game according to the situation.

He has all the big shots to succeed at this level and can be a lethal all-rounder for his team.

Mumbai Indians, in all likelihood, will use the RTM to get him back into the side, even if that means that they will have to shell out a lot of money for the youngster. Krunal might be on the radar of a lot of other franchises as well and it will come as a surprise if he doesn't fetch a lot of money in the players' auction.