Krunal Pandya-Deepak Hooda Chemistry Grabbing Headlines in IPL 2023
The Krunal Pandya-Deepak Hooda rift had grabbed a lot of eyeballs (Source: BCCI/IPL)
With the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 in full swing, the spotlight was on the Lucknow Super Giants teammates, Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya, as they were spotted together during Match 2 against the Delhi Capitals. Their camaraderie garnered a lot of attention, particularly in light of previous reports of a rift between the two players.
Pandya was acquired by the Lucknow Super Giants for a considerable sum of INR 8.25 crore at the IPL 2022 auction, whereas Hooda was procured for INR 5.75 crore. The duo's interaction during the ongoing match, visuals of which went viral on social media, fuelled speculation regarding their rapport, with one still image showing Krunal embracing Hooda while they shared a lighthearted moment.
The reason for the public's interest in the two players' dynamic stems from allegations of misconduct made by Hooda against his former Baroda team-mate in January 2021. The 27-year-old had claimed that Pandya had abused and threatened him, stating that the senior pro had jeopardized his career.
The right-arm all-rounder also cited mental distress as the reason for leaving the bio-bubble, further indicating that the incident occurred when he was practicing in the nets, preparing for a match. Pandya, the team's captain at the time, arrived at the nets and allegedly behaved inappropriately towards Hooda.
Given the past allegations, the display of amicability between the two players at the IPL 2023 match has garnered attention from fans and critics alike. The duo's ability to work together and maintain a positive relationship will undoubtedly be of interest to the cricketing community as they watch the rest of the IPL season unfold.
Meanwhile, Lucknow managed to post an impressive total of 193/6 in their allotted 20 overs. However, the performance of the infamous duo, Hooda and Pandya, was lackluster, with the former scoring a mere 17 runs off 18 balls and the latter struggling to find form with a score of 15 off 13 deliveries.
Despite their underwhelming performance, the Lucknow Super Giants were not deterred, and their tenacity was on full display as they maintained a dominant position against the Delhi Capitals. The Capitals' scoreboard, at the time of writing this article, reads 58/3, with their captain David Warner and Rilee Rossouw attempting to salvage the situation.
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