Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) veteran batter Manish Pandey played a match-winning knock of 45 to help his side secure a four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in a must-win IPL clash at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
During the post-match presentation, Player of the Match Pandey reflected on his match-winning knock and the significance of the game. “Definitely feels great,” he said. “KKR has been kind to me. This is the only time I’ve batted; I’ve been padded up and waiting to bat. This is a special one for me. A couple of fours I got off a length ball from Deepak and Bumrah were really nice.”
The 36-year-old had featured in five matches for KKR this season and finally got an opportunity to bat. He scored 45 runs off 33 balls with six boundaries, under pressure after KKR slipped to 54/3 inside eight overs. Pandey then stitched together a crucial 64-run partnership with Rovman Powell (40) to guide KKR to victory with seven balls to spare.
Pandey also spoke about his contribution beyond batting. “If I am not getting to play, I want to be a part of the team, and whoever wants to ask me for help, I’m ready to help,” he said. “Hope we finish well and squeeze into the top four. We probably end up batting for one hour at practice but also practise fielding for 45 minutes every day. I don’t bowl, but I really enjoy my fielding. It gives me great pride to add value to the team in any way I can.”
With this win, KKR have now moved to sixth place in the points table with six wins from 13 matches. They will play their final league match against Delhi Capitals (DC) on May 24 at Eden Gardens.
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