HYDERABAD: Drop the name of Manish Pandey and a cricket aficionado is teleported back to May 21, 2009, in Centurion. Then 19, the right-handed batsman became the first Indian to hit an IPL ton on the aforementioned date.
He had followed that with a highly productive 2009-10 Ranji Trophy season, emerging as the top run-getter in the tournament. That was not enough to break the barriers of the India team, and it took him about six years from the landmark date to make his debut, against Zimbabwe on July 14, 2015.
“I had a good domestic season after IPL in 2009. I was thinking I will soon represent India. I was quite eager to play. You obviously get disappointed when that does not happen after good performances,” Pandey, part of the SunRisers Hyderabad camp in this season, said on Tuesday.
“I realised that there is a lot of competition and that I need to continue doing the hard work to improve my game and become a better player.”
The middle-order batsman credits his family and trainers back home in Bengaluru for helping him wade through the choppy waters that lead to the Indian dressing room. “Family is, obviously, the helping force behind me. Then there are a couple of trainers back home at the Just Cricket Academy, where I train, who have helped me in odd times. Even at 10 in the night, I could seek their guidance,” Pandey said.
Bought by SRH for a whopping `11 crore, he is looking to continue doing what he has been doing for Karnataka for years; hold the middle-order tight. His exploits with the Kolkata Knight Riders since 2014 have further helped establish his name as a middle-order mainstay. And SRH would be expecting exactly that from the attacking batsman, as their middle-order was found wanting in the last season. “Though the role is the same, I am looking forward to a new responsibility.”
For the youngsters making tournament debut this year, Pandey has a piece of advice. “It is natural for youngsters to get overawed to be in the presence of great cricketers. I was awestruck by Sachin Tendulkar when I first joined. They should use this chance to gain knowledge. I have seen guys not communicate well with the seniors and then lose out on their cricketing sense.”
Three years post the debut, the 28-year-old is now a serious contender for a spot in the 2019 ODI World Cup squad, considering he has maintained a healthy average of 39.27 and 41.16 after 22 ODIs and 23 T20Is respectively.
Vishal@newindianexpress.com