<p>Bengaluru: It has been more than a year since Manish Pandey last batted in competitive cricket. Once a big name in Indian cricket conversations, the former India player has slipped into oblivion after being overlooked by Karnataka a couple of seasons ago. Apart from the occasional appearance in the Kolkata Knight Riders' dugout or as a regular fielder in the last two matches, the 35-year-old had largely gone unnoticed.</p>.<p>That changed, briefly but dramatically, on Wednesday night in Raipur.</p>.<p>KKR were heading towards defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Virat Kohli, who was once again dominating the evening, was on the verge of another IPL century. Yet for a few moments, Pandey managed to steal the spotlight from the showstopper with a breathtaking catch.</p>.<p>Fielding at point, Pandey reacted instantly to Tim David’s fierce cut. Diving sharply to his left, not his natural side, he somehow grabbed the ball just inches above the turf, and then, while rolling over, maintained complete control and ensured the ball never touched the ground. It was the kind of catch that looked unbelievable in real time and even better on replay -- a strong contender for the catch of the tournament and the reactions said it all.</p>. Domestic game, international feel.<p>Players from both teams could barely believe what they had witnessed. They were incredible scenes to watch and for a brief moment, KKR may have almost forgotten the disappointment of an inevitable defeat.</p>.<p>Or did the catch make them think even harder about what could have been?</p>.<p>KKR had put down chances offered by both Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. One was difficult, the other a sitter. Both mistakes proved costly. Kohli went on to slam his ninth IPL ton, broke more records and collected most of the awards on the night.</p>.<p>Still, amid Kohli’s century and the celebrations around it, one moment stood out. After Pandey completed the catch, Kohli walked over to him, hugged him warmly and shared a smile with his old Under-19 World Cup team-mate. It was a simple gesture, but watching them together inevitably brought up a familiar question: what if things had turned out differently for Pandey?</p>.<p>Their careers began side by side. Both were part of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning team in 2008 with Kohli at the helm. For a while, Pandey even seemed ahead in the race. Long before Kohli became the face of RCB and one of cricket’s modern greats, Pandey had already created IPL history by becoming the first Indian batter to score a century in the tournament back in 2009, representing RCB against Deccan Chargers.</p>.<p>For years after that, he remained one of the most reliable performers in domestic cricket across formats. Even now, his numbers narrate a story in themselves. In 118 first-class matches, he averages 50.78 with a great century-conversion rate (25 tons and 32 fifties). In List A cricket too, he averages an impressive 45.39 from 192 games.</p>.<p>Talent was never the issue. The drive, perhaps, in the later years was.</p>.<p>Kohli kept evolving and reinventing himself and went being a spoilt brat to a batsman supreme. Today, he stands among the greatest Test batters of his era, arguably the finest ODI player ever and one of the best T20 players as well.</p>.<p>The contrast in the two careers makes Pandey’s story all the more poignant.</p>.<p>He was good enough to make his India debut well before 2015 and gifted enough to play far more than the 68 internationals he eventually managed. But at the highest level, talent alone rarely guarantees a long run. Somewhere along the journey, the drive to constantly evolve and push harder faded a little. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain why he chose not to move to another state side over the past two seasons, despite Karnataka clearly moving on from him.</p>.<p>That is where players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stand apart. It may have bruised their egos to return for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but both turned up because their eyes remain fixed on the 2027 ODI World Cup.</p>.<p>That is often the difference between the merely talented and the truly driven.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: It has been more than a year since Manish Pandey last batted in competitive cricket. Once a big name in Indian cricket conversations, the former India player has slipped into oblivion after being overlooked by Karnataka a couple of seasons ago. Apart from the occasional appearance in the Kolkata Knight Riders' dugout or as a regular fielder in the last two matches, the 35-year-old had largely gone unnoticed.</p>.<p>That changed, briefly but dramatically, on Wednesday night in Raipur.</p>.<p>KKR were heading towards defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Virat Kohli, who was once again dominating the evening, was on the verge of another IPL century. Yet for a few moments, Pandey managed to steal the spotlight from the showstopper with a breathtaking catch.</p>.<p>Fielding at point, Pandey reacted instantly to Tim David’s fierce cut. Diving sharply to his left, not his natural side, he somehow grabbed the ball just inches above the turf, and then, while rolling over, maintained complete control and ensured the ball never touched the ground. It was the kind of catch that looked unbelievable in real time and even better on replay -- a strong contender for the catch of the tournament and the reactions said it all.</p>. Domestic game, international feel.<p>Players from both teams could barely believe what they had witnessed. They were incredible scenes to watch and for a brief moment, KKR may have almost forgotten the disappointment of an inevitable defeat.</p>.<p>Or did the catch make them think even harder about what could have been?</p>.<p>KKR had put down chances offered by both Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. One was difficult, the other a sitter. Both mistakes proved costly. Kohli went on to slam his ninth IPL ton, broke more records and collected most of the awards on the night.</p>.<p>Still, amid Kohli’s century and the celebrations around it, one moment stood out. After Pandey completed the catch, Kohli walked over to him, hugged him warmly and shared a smile with his old Under-19 World Cup team-mate. It was a simple gesture, but watching them together inevitably brought up a familiar question: what if things had turned out differently for Pandey?</p>.<p>Their careers began side by side. Both were part of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning team in 2008 with Kohli at the helm. For a while, Pandey even seemed ahead in the race. Long before Kohli became the face of RCB and one of cricket’s modern greats, Pandey had already created IPL history by becoming the first Indian batter to score a century in the tournament back in 2009, representing RCB against Deccan Chargers.</p>.<p>For years after that, he remained one of the most reliable performers in domestic cricket across formats. Even now, his numbers narrate a story in themselves. In 118 first-class matches, he averages 50.78 with a great century-conversion rate (25 tons and 32 fifties). In List A cricket too, he averages an impressive 45.39 from 192 games.</p>.<p>Talent was never the issue. The drive, perhaps, in the later years was.</p>.<p>Kohli kept evolving and reinventing himself and went being a spoilt brat to a batsman supreme. Today, he stands among the greatest Test batters of his era, arguably the finest ODI player ever and one of the best T20 players as well.</p>.<p>The contrast in the two careers makes Pandey’s story all the more poignant.</p>.<p>He was good enough to make his India debut well before 2015 and gifted enough to play far more than the 68 internationals he eventually managed. But at the highest level, talent alone rarely guarantees a long run. Somewhere along the journey, the drive to constantly evolve and push harder faded a little. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain why he chose not to move to another state side over the past two seasons, despite Karnataka clearly moving on from him.</p>.<p>That is where players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stand apart. It may have bruised their egos to return for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but both turned up because their eyes remain fixed on the 2027 ODI World Cup.</p>.<p>That is often the difference between the merely talented and the truly driven.</p>