Batting at No.3 in IPL gateway for India return, feels Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey, who’s been in and out of the Indian team in recent times, is eyeing the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a platform to return to the national side. The Karnataka batter became the first Indian to smash an IPL ton more than a decade ago, but hasn’t quite made it big altogether. In the IPL, he has been plying his trade for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the last three seasons.

Prior to that, he was with the Kolkata Knight Riders after which he made the move to the Orange Army. Pandey is looking forward to batting at three for SRH, something which he reckons gives him freedom to express himself. He is looking forward to make the chances count and storm back into the Men in Blue’s setup, especially with the T20 World Cup ahead.

I’ll carry with me the confidence of getting runs, says Pandey

“I wouldn’t want to change much. I think I’ll bat at No 3 and I’ll probably try and push for that spot in the IPL because that gives me more opportunities to express myself, get runs and then return to the Indian side,” Pandey was quoted as saying in The Times of India (TOI).

Pandey is keen on carrying on his confidence to the national side whenever he gets an opportunity. “I know I may not bat at No. 3 for India but if I can do well in the IPL, I’ll carry with me the confidence of having got a lot of runs in the IPL. It will give me enough time to reflect on my batting and learn from situations as well,” he stated.

“Also, if I bat up the order and get as many runs as possible, I can carry that form into the World Cup. I’m hoping I can be the match-winner in as many matches as possible,” he added.

Pandey has taken part in 38 T20Is and 26 ODIs in his career thus far. His stint with the SRH, led by David Warner, in the IPL gets underway on April 1 against Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians. Last season, Pandey was inconsistent to start with, but once he found his rhythm, there was no stopping him.