"Missing our special man a little extra today" - Krunal Pandya shares adorable video on his father's birthday
Indian all-rounders Krunal Pandya and Hardik Panyda's father, Himanshu Pandya, passed away at the age of 71 due to cardiac arrest in Vadodara in January 2021.
On his father's birth anniversary on Sunday, June 25, Krunal took to his Instagram account to share a sweet video featuring his father and brother. The three can be seen playing cricket at their residence in the clip.
Krunal captioned the post:
"Missing our special man a little extra today❤️ Happy birthday, Papa🫡❤️"
It is worth mentioning that Himanshu Pandya had a big role to play in the success of his two sons. When Hardik was just five years old, he shut down his car finance business in Surat and shifted to Vadodara. This was to ensure that the Pandya brothers got good cricket training facilities.
Both Krunal and Hardik did manage to earn a place in the national team. While Hardik is now a mainstay in India's white-ball teams, Krunal's last appearance in international cricket dates back to July 25, 2021.
Krunal Pandya was last seen in action during IPL 2023
Krunal Pandya plied his trade for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL 2023). The 32-year-old was appointed as the captain of the team after regular skipper KL Rahul was ruled out after sustaining a thigh injury.
The Lucknow side managed to make it to the all-important playoffs, finishing third in the points table. LSG bagged eight wins and five losses, while one of their matches was abandoned due to rain.
Krunal Pandya and Co. suffered a heartbreaking 81-run loss to Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Eliminator. Chasing a stiff 183-run target at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, LSG were bundled out for a paltry score of 101.
Pandya failed to contribute substantially with the bat this season, mustering 188 runs in 14 innings at an average of 18.80. However, he did impress with his miserly bowling spells.
The crafty spinner bagged nine wickets from 12 innings at an impressive economy rate of 7.45.