Krunal Pandya makes massive statement on Virat Kohli, identifies turning point of his career

At a time when getting into the Indian team has become intensely competitive, the only way to sustain and survive is by churning out consistent performances and being the go-to player for the skipper when the pressure is amped. Krunal Pandya, one of the young faces in the Indian squad for the West Indies series, wants to keep at it and be as prolific as possible.

The all-rounder wants to learn from the skipper Virat Kohli and put his head down and keep repeating the processes which one needs to be successful. "West Indies tour I am looking forward to it because there is a lot of cricket in future. Obviously, I want to perform consistently in both batting and bowling," Krunal told bcci.tv.

'Want to develop that hunger'

"I want to learn from Virat (Kohli) how to develop that hunger and be a consistent performer," he further added.

Krunal, who has been in India 'A' squad which clinched the 5-match One Day series against West Indies 'A' with a margin of 4-1, believes such tours help in getting invaluable experience for bigger challenges.

"India A tours help a lot. In the last 2-3 years, I have played in South Africa, New Zealand and England. It gives you experience and advantage when you tour these countries with the senior team," he said.

Krunal, who has also played with MS Dhoni, believes that the former Indian captain has been a huge influence on Indian cricket and that there has not been a better finisher in cricket over the years.

"There is no big finisher in Indian and world cricket than Mahi bhai (Dhoni). He has been doing this day in and day out. His patience and the way he reads the situation are the qualities which I would like to learn from him," Krunal said.

Often young Indian players credit the experience they gain from Indian Premier League for helping them adapt and adjust to the high-pressure scenario which they confront in international cricket. Krunal too credits Mumbai Indians for picking him and believes it was the turning point in his career.

"The biggest turning point in my career is to represent Mumbai Indians because that gave me a platform to showcase my abilities. The amount of pressure you are in when you are playing IPL is different," he said.