"The opportunity to add a world-renowned all-rounder to an exciting group is fantastic" - Warwickshire Director announces Krunal Pandya's signing for Royal London Cup 2022

Warwickshire Director of Cricket Paul Farbrace on Friday announced the arrival of Krunal Pandya in the county's squad for the Royal London Cup 2022.

Pandya, who made his ODI debut against England last year, will play at least eight matches for Warwickshire in the 50-over competition. The all-rounder will gain some valuable experience that will help him improve his game further and strengthen his chances of getting a place in India's 2023 Cricket World Cup squad.

The Indian cricketer announced the news in a video posted on his social media handles on July 1.

"It's an honor for me to play for Warwickshire county cricket club," he said. "It's a team with great history and a wonderful squad. I would like to thank Warwickshire for the opportunity to play in the Royal London Cup. Super excited to join up with my new teammates and can't wait to play."

Explaining how Warwickshire will benefit a lot from Krunal's presence, Director of Cricket Farbrace said in a media statement:

"Krunal is an incredible signing for the Club, and I’m delighted to welcome him to Edgbaston.

“Krunal will bring a wealth of international experience to a team that will be desperate to do well," he added. "Due to our impressive T20 performances, we will lose players to The Hundred, but that’s always going to happen to successful teams. The opportunity to add a world-renowned all-rounder to an exciting group is fantastic.”

Krunal Pandya has not played 50-over cricket in 2022

While Krunal Pandya will add a lot of balance to the Warwickshire squad, fans should note that the all-rounder has not played a single 50-over match this year. His last ODI appearance was against Sri Lanka in July in 2021, while his last List-A game took place last December.

Krunal has a batting average of 65 in ODI cricket (Image courtesy: Getty Images)

Speaking of his numbers in ODI cricket, Pandya has played five matches for India, scoring 130 runs at an average of 65, with his economy rate being 5.86.

He set a new record for the fastest fifty (26 balls) by a debutant last year against England. With the ball, Krunal scalped two wickets in those five matches.

It will be interesting to see how he performs in the Royal London Cup 2022.