Prasidh Krishna’s white-ball challenges examined — pace is there, but can he deliver wickets without leaking runs?
Prasidh Krishna’s white-ball journey continues to puzzle Indian cricket watchers. He has the height, the pace, the bounce, and the natural hit-the-deck ability that should make him a valuable modern ODI bowler. Yet, despite these attributes, he still hasn’t settled comfortably into white-ball cricket — a format where India need reliable, impact-driven fast bowlers.
On paper, Krishna has already featured in 20 ODIs, taking 33 wickets with a best of 4-12, at an average of 28.09, and an economy rate of 5.98. These are numbers that appear respectable but also reveal a lack of sustained control, especially in pressure phases. His T20I record highlights a similar pattern – five matches, eight wickets, but a worryingly expensive 11.00 economy, despite a best of 3-41, which suggests wicket-taking ability but inconsistent execution.
Read More: Why has Prasidh Krishna been a real letdown on England tour so far?
IPL 2025 high and rising expectations
The renewed belief in Krishna came during IPL 2025, where his performances for Gujarat Titans reignited his reputation. He finished with 25 wickets in 15 matches, claimed the Purple Cap, and became one of the most reliable bowling options in the tournament. Shubman Gill consistently trusted him with high-pressure overs, especially at the death. And, Prasidh often justified that faith with wickets and tight passages of bowling.
His rhythm looked cleaner, his confidence seemed restored, and his best spell of the season, a 4-41 against Delhi Capitals, showcased his ability to strike exactly when the team needed it. Those performances created a natural expectation that he was finally ready to shoulder India’s white-ball responsibilities.
International reality check
Yet, once Krishna stepped away from the familiar, structured IPL environment, the inconsistencies quickly resurfaced. His tours of England and Australia exposed a familiar pattern. His pace was good but lengths erratic, his bounce lacked direction, and the attacking spells lacked sustained threat. For a bowler with 20 ODIs, Krishna still hasn’t developed the tactical maturity required at the international level.
The ongoing ODI series against South Africa has only amplified this gap. In the first match in Ranchi, he delivered a steady but unremarkable spell of 7.2 overs where he leaked 48 runs, and scalped one wicket. His performance was serviceable at best, yet far from the impact India needed in the middle overs.
The second ODI in Raipur, however, was a harsh reminder of his volatility. He conceded 85 runs in just 8.2 overs despite picking up two wickets, bleeding boundaries and finishing with an economy rate above 10. These are the kinds of spells that disrupt team balance, kill momentum, and force the captain into reactive, defensive fields. At one point, KL Rahul’s visible frustration reflected how completely Krishna had lost control of his lengths and plans.
These matches underlined the core problem – when they need composure, Krishna often brings chaos. When they need control, he leaks runs. And when they need a breakthrough, he drifts into predictable hard lengths that experienced international batters punish with ease.
Read More: Prasidh Krishna: The most improved player on show in IPL 2025
Disconnected attack and ripple effect
His inconsistency does not just hurt his own figures, it affects the entire attack’s rhythm. With India already thin on established fast-bowling all-rounders, younger pacers like Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh end up carrying more than their intended workload when Krishna cannot hold an end or build pressure. The result is a disjointed unit, with three bowlers operating on separate plans, unlike the coordinated aggression India once enjoyed through Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya in the middle overs.
Where tools fail?
The irony is that Prasidh has everything a white-ball fast bowler needs. His height alone is a natural weapon. His pace remains sharp. His bounce is unsettling. But white-ball cricket today is not about raw physical traits, it is about game awareness. Bowlers must read batters’ movements, adjust lengths based on surface behaviour, develop layers in their variations, and build overs with tactical intelligence. These are the areas where Krishna still lags noticeably behind. Even with Test experience under his belt, his ODI and T20I spells often lack the clarity required at this level.
Read More: Harshit Rana battling unprovoked brickbats yet quietly making a mark as an ODI bowler
Time for reset?
If Prasidh Krishna wants to find long-term space in India’s white-ball attack, he must undergo a serious tactical and technical reset. Working closely with Morne Morkel, someone who understands the biomechanics and planning of tall fast bowlers, may be his most important step. He needs to rediscover his best lengths, refine his slower-ball variations, and most importantly, improve his ability to control the game in momentum-shifting phases.
Prasidh Krishna is not a write-off, but he is undeniably at a crossroads. Twenty ODIs and five T20Is are enough for a fast bowler to show direction, if not complete evolution. Yet his career still oscillates between promise and frustration, between IPL brilliance and international vulnerability. India need bowlers who win critical phases, not ones who merely survive them.
Until he aligns his talent with better match awareness and consistency, he will remain what he currently appears to be — a gifted but misfiring piece in India’s white-ball puzzle, still searching for his true identity on the international stage.
India will now turn their focus to the third ODI against South Africa, scheduled for December 6 in Visakhapatnam. With the series on the line, the spotlight naturally shifts to the team management’s selection calls and Prasidh Krishna remains very much a part of that conversation. Whether he earns a place in the XI or is held back for tactical reasons, this next game will offer a clear indication of how the management currently views his role in India’s white-ball future.
Read More: Gill included for T20Is against SA, but shouldn’t India have better preserved him for Tests & ODIs?
