My goal is to play at 2019 Cricket World Cup – Krunal Pandya
The all-rounder, whose brother Hardik has made 41 ODI appearances for India, received his maiden call-up to the India squad for their T20I series with England earlier this year.
While he didn’t make an appearance in the series, he admitted it gave him a real drive to pull on the famous blue shirt of India at next year’s Cricket World Cup in England and Wales.
“My ultimate goal is to play for the country. To play for India in the World Cup and that is the next goal to be very honest,” he told the official Mumbai Indians website, who he has represented in the IPL since 2016.
“I am going tournament by tournament or you can say match by match and if I do well consistently, I'll get what I want. So obviously at the end, the ultimate aim is to play the 2019 World Cup for India. I hope the way I am going, I will achieve that as well.”
The elder Pandya brother couldn’t hide his delight at receiving a call-up to the India T20I squad in July, giving him the opportunity to be alongside his sibling on the biggest stage.
“It was like a dream come true for both of us,” he added. “In the first T20I when Hardik and I shared the dressing room for India, it was a great feeling.
“It is a good feeling to be with Hardik in the Indian team. We have played with each other for Mumbai Indians too, so it’s good to play with him rather than playing against him!
“It is just the beginning, but the feeling was really good because from childhood you tend to dream to play for the country and suddenly when you get a call, it feels great.”