Manish Pandey finds waiting on the sidelines a mentally challenging aspect

Manish Pandey has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit. The cricketer has also been a stalwart in the Indian Premier League and notched runs pretty consistently. However, he hasn’t quite been able to cement his spot in the Indian team owing to lacklustre performances and emergence of talented cricketers. The Karnataka batsman was a part of the Indian squad for the ODI series against South Africa, however, he didn’t get an opportunity.

Nevertheless, to his relief, he has been drafted into the playing eleven for the ongoing T20I affairs against the Proteas. He struggled to find momentum in the opening game at the Wanderers, however, managed to get a decent score under his belt in Centurion. The cricketer recently spoke to the media regarding the psychological aspects of waiting on the sidelines.

Struggle for Pandey

“Honestly, it’s a little tough (waiting for chances) and it works on your mind a lot. Especially on this tour, I have felt it a lot actually but that is what cricket is all about. You have to wait for your chances to play for a team like India where you have so many stars and legend after legend (in the team). So I am trying my bit there,” Pandey was quoted as saying after the completion of the match.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad cricketer also described his struggles with the Indian team and his role in the lineup. “I have got a few chances at number four and I have delivered. So the batting combination sometimes pushed me down to number five. I have tried my bit (at number five), but I also feel that I could probably do a little bit more with myself,” he added.

Manish Pandey found his form back in India’s erstwhile game at the SuperSport Park and stitched a useful partnership with MS Dhoni, the Indian skipper. The middle-order batsman would be looking to replicate the form the deciding game of the T20 series at the Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday and end the series on a convincing note.