India’s announcement of their 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan was followed by a cryptic Instagram post from Krunal Pandya, leaving fans wondering whether the all-rounder still has hopes of making an international comeback. Krunal, the elder brother of Hardik Pandya, has not played international cricket for more than five years.

After losing his place in the Indian team in 2021, the left-arm all-rounder has continued to work hard on the domestic circuit with Baroda while waiting for another opportunity. His consistent performances in the IPL have recently brought him back into the conversation. Krunal has been particularly impressive for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), with reports suggesting that the selectors had discussed his name as a potential replacement for Axar Patel.

However, Axar retained his place in the squad, while Krunal was once again overlooked. Shortly after the squad announcement, Krunal posted an Instagram story carrying the message, “Hope Is Still Alive”, accompanied by crossed fingers and an Indian flag. The post immediately sparked speculation about his international ambitions.

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Krunal has established himself as an important player for RCB since joining the franchise ahead of IPL 2025. During their title-winning campaign in 2025, he picked up 17 wickets at an economy rate of 8.23 and contributed 109 runs, including an unbeaten 73, at a strike rate of 126.74.

Krunal Pandya hasn’t played a T20I for India since 2021

Do you see a comeback happening? 👀 pic.twitter.com/Yjd3Pa8zBW

— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) September 1, 2026

His numbers remained strong during RCB’s successful title defence in 2026. Krunal claimed 14 wickets at an economy rate of 8.41 and added 226 runs at an impressive strike rate of 145.80, once again proving his value as a genuine all-rounder.

Krunal first represented India in a T20I in 2018 as Hardik’s replacement against the West Indies. He scored an unbeaten 21 off just nine balls and later featured against Australia, where he recovered from an expensive 0/55 in the opening game to record figures of 1/26 and 4/36.

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He made his ODI debut in March 2021 and marked the occasion with a half-century. Overall, Krunal has played five ODIs, scoring 130 runs and taking two wickets. In 19 T20Is, he has 124 runs at a strike rate of 130.52 and 15 wickets at an economy rate of 8.10. For now, Krunal’s Instagram post has added another layer to the speculation surrounding his India comeback.