HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANISH PANDEY: In 2009, a lanky teen from Bangalore became the first Indian cricketer to smash a century in the Indian Premier League. The Royal Challengers Bangalore fans and the rest of the world glued their eyes to their television screens to get a glimpse of the youngster’s name on the score bug that eventually read, Manish Pandey.
Since his barnstorming start, Pandey has evolved as a vital cog of Karnataka in the domestic circuit and has played for different franchises in the IPL. The aggressive right-handed batter has played as a floater, having the ability to bat at any number in a batting line-up. Pandey has established himself as a seasoned campaigner in the IPL with a composed head on his shoulders.
As Manish Pandey celebrates his 33rd birthday, let’s take a look back at some of his best innings in the IPL:
83 off 47 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals, 2020
Manish Pandey emerged as a saviour for the Sunrisers when they faced the Sanju Samson-led- Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020. Batting first, the Royals struggled to get any momentum and could only manage to put 154 runs on the board. The Sunrisers too had a rough start to their chase as they lost both their openers cheaply.
In came, Pandey who launched a counterattack on Royal’s bowlers to ease the pressure. He remained unbeaten till the end and scored a 47 ball 83, studded with four fours and eight sixes. Pandey’s brilliance took Sunrisers home with eleven balls to spare.
94 off 50 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders against KXIP, 2014 Final
This particular knock arguably is the best innings of Pandey in IPL, keeping in mind the enormity of the match. On the night of the big final, Pandey showed nerves of steel against Kings XI Punjab.
In the first innings, Kings XI posted a massive 199-run total riding on brilliant knocks from Manan Vohra and Wriddhiman Saha. Knight Riders were certain of winning after scoring such a massive score in the championship final. However, Pandey dashed their chances of earning their first IPL crown with a match-winning knock of 94 runs off only 50 balls.
71 off 47 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Mumbai Indians, 2019
Manish Pandey isn’t one of those players who gets satisfied with half-centuries. He has always demonstrated a desire to bat deep and win matches throughout his career. One such incident occurred during Sunriser’s clash against the Mumbai Indians in the 2019 IPL. Chasing a total of 162, Pandey played a sumptuous 71-run knock to help his team level the game.
With 7 runs required in the last ball, Pandey came out clutch, smashing a huge six over long-on to bring the scores level. However, his valiant knock wasn’t enough as Sunrisers lost the match in the super over.
83 off 49 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Chennai Super Kings, 2019
The Karnataka batter has time and again proved that he is a big-match player. He was in dismal form prior to the match versus Chennai Super Kings in 2019, accumulating only 54 runs in six games for Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, he returned to the starting line-up at No.3, replacing Kane Williamson, who missed the game due to personal reasons.
Pandey was sensational on the night and batted brilliantly against a lethal Chennai bowling attack. He played an unbeaten 83 off 49 balls to help the Sunrisers post a competitive total. But it wasn’t enough to get them over the line, as the Chennai side won the match with just one ball remaining.
114 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Deccan Chargers, 2009
The innings that made Pandey an overnight sensation came against the now-defunct Deccan Chargers side. Jacques Kallis and Pandey opened the batting for Bangalore. RP Singh dropped him and gave him a lifeline when he had just two runs in his kitty. Pandey did not look back and made them pay for their mistake. He got to his fifty with back-to-back sixes over mid-wicket.
The Karnataka batsman then reached his century in the 18th over of the innings, delicately tapping the ball to long-on for a couple. Pandey finished the game unbeaten on 114 and etched his name into the history books as the first Indian centurion in IPL.
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