Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya lit up social media with their on-field banter during the IPL 2022 match between the Lucknow Super Giants and the Gujarat Titans.
Hooda had a falling out with Baroda captain Krunal prior to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year. Hooda made a litany of claims against Krunal in an email to the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA), including attempting to pull him down and warning him that he would not play for Baroda again. Hooda then departed the Baroda team to play domestic cricket for Rajasthan.
However, the two were reunited when the Lucknow Super Giants purchased them in the IPL 2022 auction. Hooda was purchased for Rs 5.75 crore, while Krunal was purchased for Rs 8.25 crore by the new IPL franchise.
Also read: IPL 2022: Gujarat Titans beat Lucknow Super Giants in a thriller
During the match against Gujarat Titans, the duo shared a few moments that went viral on Twitter. Krunal was spotted applauding Hooda after he hit a key half-century to rescue Lucknow from a precarious scenario. When Hooda was dismissed and he was coming back towards the dugout while Krunal was entering the ground for his batting, the southpaw patted him on the back.
The Lucknow duo also hugged after Hooda caught Shubman Gill early in the innings, when Lucknow was defending a mark of 158.
Fans on Twitter were overjoyed to see the pair bury their differences and celebrate the team’s win together.
Meanwhile, Hooda (55) and Ayush Badoni (54) seized charge and rescued the Lucknow innings with an 87-run stand off 68 balls.
Hooda hit six fours and two sixes in his 41-ball innings, while Badoni hit four boundaries and three maximums in his IPL debut.
After Hooda was caught in front of the wicket in the 16th over by Rashid Khan (1/27), Badoni upped the ante and played shots at will. Krunal Pandya also contributed an unbeaten 21 to help Lucknow reach 158/6 in 20 overs.