Overview
Manish Krishnakant Pandey is an Indian cricketer who plays as a right-handed middle-order batsman. Born on 10 September 1989 in Nainital, Uttarakhand, he is best known for becoming the first Indian batsman to score a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has represented India in One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals, and has appeared in domestic first-class cricket for Karnataka.
Key facts
| Full name | Manish Krishnakant Pandey |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 September 1989 |
| Place of birth | Nainital, Uttarakhand, India |
| Batting style | Right-handed |
| Bowling style | Right-arm off-break (occasional) |
| Role | Middle-order batsman |
| Domestic team | Karnataka |
| National side | India (ODI, T20I) |
| Notable distinction | First Indian batsman to score a century in the IPL |
Background
Pandey was born into a family with service background; his father served in the Indian Army, and the family relocated frequently before settling in Bengaluru, Karnataka, where Manish took up the sport seriously. He developed his cricket through age-group competitions in Karnataka and progressed through the state's junior structure before being selected for the India Under-19 side.
Junior and domestic career
Pandey was a member of the India Under-19 squad that won the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2008 in Malaysia, captained by Virat Kohli. He made his first-class debut for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy and went on to become a senior batter for the side, contributing to Karnataka's Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup successes during the 2010s.
Indian Premier League
Pandey first played in the IPL with the Mumbai Indians before moving to the Royal Challengers Bangalore. On 17 May 2009, during IPL season two played in South Africa, he scored 114 not out off 73 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Deccan Chargers in Centurion, becoming the first Indian and the youngest batsman at the time to score a century in the league. He has subsequently played for several franchises, including Pune Warriors India, Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals, often serving as a dependable middle-order batter.
His unbeaten 94 for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2014 final at Bengaluru helped KKR win the title and is regarded as one of his finest T20 innings.
International career
Pandey made his ODI debut for India against Zimbabwe in July 2015 in Harare. He scored his maiden ODI century, 104 not out, against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2016, an innings that helped India to a successful run-chase. He made his T20I debut for India in 2015 and has since featured intermittently in the shortest international format, frequently being recalled for bilateral series.
Playing style
Pandey is regarded as a technically correct middle-order batter with strong footwork against spin and the ability to rotate the strike. He is also considered an outstanding fielder, particularly in the deep and at point, and has taken several notable boundary-line catches in domestic and franchise cricket.
Timeline
- 2008: Part of the India Under-19 squad that won the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia.
- 2008–09: Made his first-class debut for Karnataka.
- 2009: Scored the first IPL century by an Indian, for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Deccan Chargers.
- 2014: Played a match-winning 94* in the IPL final for Kolkata Knight Riders.
- 2015: Made his ODI and T20I debuts for India.
- 2016: Scored his maiden ODI century against Australia at Sydney.
Significance
Pandey's IPL century in 2009 was a landmark moment in the early years of the league, signalling the arrival of young Indian talent capable of competing with established international stars in Twenty20 cricket. As a stalwart of Karnataka cricket, he has also been part of one of the strongest domestic units of his era, contributing to multiple Ranji Trophy and limited-overs domestic titles.
Related topics
- Indian Premier League
- Royal Challengers Bangalore
- Kolkata Knight Riders
- Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Karnataka cricket team
- Ranji Trophy
- India national cricket team
- ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup
- Virat Kohli
References
- Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) player profiles.
- International Cricket Council (ICC) match and tournament records.
- Indian Premier League official records and match archives.