Sunday was a momentous day for Hardik and Krunal Pandya, who became the first siblings in the history of the Indian Premier League to make history by becoming the first brothers to lead two rival clubs in the same match.
After winning the toss in Ahmedabad, Krunal Pandya, who is the older brother and captain of the Lucknow Super Giants, claimed that “it’s a dream come true for us, leading our respective sides.” Krunal is 32 years old.
Having said that, he continued by saying, “Once we go into the field, the game face will be on.”
Hardik Pandya, who is the captain of the Gujarat Titans and is 29 years old, adjusted his brother’s headgear and also informed the host, who had gotten it incorrect, that the coin landed in Krunal’s favor.
“Big, emotional day for the family, our father would have been proud,” said a teary-eyed Hardik, a regular in the national side and a considerably larger star than Krunal.
“This is the first time that anything like this has ever occurred. Although they are at a loss for words, the family is quite proud. One Pandya will emerge victorious.”
The event was particularly significant due to the fact that the two brothers were competing in their home state of Gujarat in western India, which is home to the largest cricket stadium in the world.
There have been instances of brothers competing against one other in the money-spinning Twenty20 event, such as when India players Irfan and Yusuf Pathan faced off against each other, but it has never happened before that two siblings have captained their respective sides.
On Friday, it was determined that Lucknow’s normal captain, KL Rahul, would not be able to return for the remainder of the competition due to an injury. As a result, Krunal was promoted to the position of team captain.
Hardik, a fast bowler and a hard-hitting batsman who has competed for India in 11 Tests, 74 ODIs, and 87 T20 matches, led Gujarat to a fairytale triumph in the team’s first season of play last year. This was Gujarat’s first season of play ever.
Krunal, who bats left-handed and spins left-handed, has represented India in five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 19 Twenty-20 matches up till the time of his retirement in 2021.