Walks, talks and breathes cricket

One of the youngest stars from the stable of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Manish Pandey still remembers the roaring victory against the Deccan Chargers in the IPL last season where he became the first player to hit a century in the IPL.

Pandey’s determination, single-minded devotion and commitment were there for all to see in the just-ended Ranji season where he was among the top scorers.
“The IPL and the T-20 format have brought an attacking dimension to my game, and it has helped me play some innovative strokes which were not previously part of my game plan,” Manish told Metrolife.

The RCB has a good number of young players who consider matches like these as a stepping stone to making it big in cricket and playing alongside cricketing legends is a different learning experience altogether. “The RCB has a fairly promising youth brigade, and I hope the young players have a crucial role in this year’s success as well,” says Manish. 

Manish is close to his teammates and says he’d miss them when the matches are over. It’s not just the on-field struggles and challenges that they share but they cherish memorable moments off the field as well.

 However, Manish confesses that there’s one person who has truly inspired him and that’s Rahul Dravid, “He was my childhood icon, and it was great spending some of our free time together, to talk cricket and the trials of being a top level cricketer,” observes Manish.

The RCB has a brilliant mix of players, feels Manish. “We are such a unique mix of players and we look forward to getting together each season for the tournament, as we never get the chance to play together with so many legends of the game in one team,” he confesses.

Manish thinks the IPL has added a new dimension to the game of cricket in India. What about clubbing entertainment with cricket? “As long as the game remains the focus point, I'm not too bothered about any added entertainment,” sums up Manish.