Swapnil Singh explained how he was left out of the side for a youngster, even after performing so well.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) used their Right To Match (RTM) card on Swapnil Singh and got him for INR 50 Lakhs. They also purchased Krunal Pandya at INR 5.75 crores during the IPL 2025 auction.
Since both have joined the same team, an old video of the feud between the duo has emerged on social media platforms, where Swapnil recalls the moment he was left out of the Baroda team. He explained how he was left out of the side for a youngster, even after performing so well.
“I was the highest run-scorer for Baroda and also took so many wickets. In 2019, I was the No.2 or No.3 all-rounder all over India in white-ball cricket. Then in 2020, Covid hit, and there was a Baroda selection after that. I was playing continuously and thought I was sure-selection. I met my captain, who clearly told me there was no place for me in the team. So, I told him directly that I was in the top two all-rounders in India, so how’s this possible? He said my position was given to a young player, and I accepted it.”
Krunal Pandya was the captain of Baroda, and Swapnil was referring to him in the clip. Later, Irfan Pathan helped Swapnil get into Uttrakhand’s side in domestic cricket, where his career found a new direction.
Swapnil Singh is not the first player to sour relations with Krunal Pandya. Earlier, Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda were involved in an altercation, where the former used abusive language in front of everyone and threatened to axe him out of the Baroda team.
Hence, Deepak left Baroda and moved to Rajasthan to ply his trade and found reasonable success. While unsure who was at fault, Krunal is the common person in both cases.
Coincidentally, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bought Krunal and Deepak in the IPL 2022 auction, and now Royal Challengers Bengaluru have Krunal and Swapnil in the same team. Fortunately, there were no reports about further feuds between Krunal and Hooda, and RCB would hope Swapnil and Krunal keep their personal differences aside.
Both are similar kinds of players in terms of playing style. However, both bring their own skillsets to the unit and play a vital role for RCB in the coming season.
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