Manish Pandey was a member of Virat Kohli’s triumphant side which won the U-19 World Cup in 2008 in Kuala Lumpur. He was the first Indian to score an
IPL century (2009) and also the Man of the Match in the IPL 2014 final.
At 36, Pandey showed that he is still cut out for the big stage. On Wednesday, when he came out to bat at the Eden, the Kolkata Knight Riders were reeling at 54/3 chasing 147. Pandey’s 45 off 33 balls brought the much-needed stability and set up a victory which kept his side’s playoff hopes alive.
“This is the best I’ve seen him bat over the last few years,” assistant coach Shane Watson told reporters. “He adds so much value. He’s obviously a super-experienced guy. He’s an amazing fielder. He adds so much energy
to our group, whether it’s off the field, on the field, around the group.”
When he didn’t get to contribute with the bat, he made an impact with his agile fielding, like the stunning one-handed catch at point to dismiss RCB’s Tim David. “I want all the cricket balls to come to me when I’m fielding,” Pandey said after collecting his Man of the Match award on Wednesday.
