'Hope Is Still Alive': India Star Shares Cryptic Post On Instagram After T20I Snub

News cricket 'Hope Is Still Alive': India Star Shares Cryptic Post On Instagram After T20I Snub

'Hope Is Still Alive': India Star Shares Cryptic Post On Instagram After T20I Snub

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Last Updated: September 02, 2026, 09:52 IST

India named 15-man squad for their upcoming bilateral T20I assignment against Afghanistan starting later this month.

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India will face Afghanistan in New Delhi next. (AFP Photo/IG)

On the day India named their 15-man squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, an all-rounder’s cryptic post on Instagram has sent tongues wagging.

It’s been over five years since Krunal Pandya, the elder brother of Hardik Pandya, last played international cricket. Having lost his place in 2021, Krunal has since been grinding it out in the domestic circuit for Baroda, hoping to catch the attention of the selection panel, which is currently being headed by Ajit Agarkar.

There were murmurs of Krunal being back on the selectors’ radar after an impressive showing for two-time IPL winning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in successive seasons.

A report claimed that the 35-year-old’s name has been discussed as a possible like-for-like replacement for Axar Patel, whose recent numbers have been less than impressive.

However, Axar has managed to retain his place in the team, but Krunal wasn’t picked.

Hours after the team announcement, Krunal shared a story on Instagram with the text, “Hope Is Still Alive" with fingers crossed and an Indian flag.

Krunal’s Performance In IPL

Krunal has become a key player for RCB ever since joining the franchise ahead of IPL 2025. His two seasons with them have resulted in the team winning back-to-back titles, and his performances haven’t gone without notice.

In IPL 2025, his first with RCB when they won their first ever IPL trophy, Krunal took 17 wickets at an economy of 8.23. While batting in the lower order, he made 109 runs – including an unbeaten 73 – at a strike-rate of 126.74.

Then, as RCB successfully defended their crown earlier this year, the veteran again made significant contributions in both departments. He took 14 wickets at an economy of 8.41 with his left-arm spin and scored 226 runs at a strike-rate of 145.80.

Krunal’s India Career

Incidentally, Krunal got a taste of international cricket as his brother Hardik’s replacement during the T20I series against West Indies in 2018. He took one wicket and belted an unbeaten 21 of 9 deliveries.

The performance was enough for him to be picked for the Australia T20Is where he returned expensive figures of 0/55 in the first game before bouncing back to take 1/26 in the second match and 4/36 in the third contest.

In March 2021, he made his ODI debut and celebrated it by hitting a half-century.

So far, in five ODIs, Krunal has made 130 runs including an unbeaten 58 besides picking two wickets. In 19 T20Is, he has 15 wickets at an economy of 8.10 and 124 runs at a strike-rate of 130.52.

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Quick Answers Powered by Ask News18 Will Krunal Pandya get another chance in international cricket? Whether Krunal Pandya will get another chance in international cricket is not confirmed. Although he was discussed as a potential replacement for Axar Patel, he was ultimately left out of the 15-member India squad announced for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. Despite this latest snub, the 35-year-old all-rounder has expressed that his hope of making a comeback is still alive. How will Krunal Pandya's IPL form impact future selections? Despite Krunal Pandya's strong IPL 2026 performance, which drew the attention of selectors and led to discussions about him replacing Axar Patel, it did not result in his selection for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. While there was speculation about a potential national comeback, the selectors ultimately chose to retain Patel. Pandya's future international selection remains uncertain, though he has expressed hope of playing for India again. Powered by Ask News18

About the Author Feroz Khan Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience ... Read More

First Published: September 02, 2026, 09:52 IST

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