Krunal Pandya says dismissing AB de Villiers was his most memorable moment in IPL 2016

Mumbai Indians may not have been able to defend their title in the 2016 IPL but there were quite a few positives for them in the tournament. The biggest among them, perhaps, was the discovery of a new star in the form of all-rounder Krunal Pandya. As a left-handed batsman, Krunal scored 237 runs in the season at a smashing strike rate of over 190. With the ball in hand, too, the youngster proved to be quite effective as he grabbed 6 wickets and conceded his runs at just 7.57 runs per over.

In an interview with Firstpost, Krunal Pandya opened up about his journey in the 2016 IPL. "It was quite difficult. One year is a big gap and suddenly to play a tournament (IPL), which I haven't played before, was all new for me. But that's what it is, if you are mentally tough and ready for the challenge and if you prepare well, you will get the result. I managed to do really well," said Krunal about how tough it was for him to progress into the big league.

When asked whether he was under pressure to perform due to the heavy price tag he fetched from the Mumbai Indians, the all-rounder replied, "No, it depends on the individual. I took it positively and prepared well. I didn't have the pressure that I have been bought for two crore so I have to perform. But since the last few months I prepared well for IPL only."

Pandya's top score in the 2016 IPL was an 86 off 37 balls against Delhi Daredevils in MI's penultimate game of the season. In a surprise move, he was promoted to the No. 3 position in the batting order and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

"I had never batted at no.3. But that's the way it goes, as a cricketer you will get new challenges every game and you should know how to deal with it and how to cope up with it. I played at all the positions - 4,5,3,6,7. But that was my job in the team. I had to go and carry the momentum which the previous batsman had set and play my shots. For me it was not that difficult," said Krunal.

The 25-year old also turned out to be quite an asset for Mumbai in terms of his bowling. One of his best performances this season came in his team's home match against RCB, where he got rid of both Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the same over.

Speaking about it, Krunal Pandya said, "The first over which I bowled in that game I gave around ten runs, so second over I knew they will target me as I was one of the younger players out there who was playing just the second game. As Kohli got out in the same over, I knew that de Villiers will not try to go for a big shot and play from the crease itself, so I gambled a bit, bowled a flighted delivery allowing him to come forward and drive the ball and that's what got him in the end. So it was the most memorable moment of the IPL."

The elder of the Pandyas put his weight behind younger brother Hardik and claimed that he will recover quickly from his poor performance this IPL. "These things happen. This is cricket and every cricketer goes through tough phases. [Hardik] will come back stronger, I have full faith in him," Krunal said.

He summed up his experience in his debut IPL season by saying, "It was quite satisfying, first of all because when MI bought me in the auction for two crores and showed so much faith in me, it was my job to go out there and perform consistently for them. I think I did that."

On his learnings from the tournament, Krunal Pandya quipped, "I have learnt lot of mental things, especially when to work hard, how to manage your body and maintain fitness levels. I learnt lot of things and it will definitely help me for the upcoming tournaments, Ranji trophy etc."