Manish Pandey Wins Player of the Match Award After First Batting Opportunity of IPL 2026
Kolkata Knight Riders batter Manish Pandey impressed fans by winning the Player of the Match award after receiving his first batting opportunity of the IPL 2026 season.
Prasanth Subramani
Kolkata Knight Riders batter Manish Pandey has become the talking point among cricket fans after winning the Player of the Match award despite getting his first batting opportunity of the IPL 2026 season only recently.
The 36-year-old batter, who has been part of the IPL since its inaugural season, has often struggled to secure consistent opportunities in the tournament.
In the match held at Eden Gardens on Tuesday night, Mumbai Indians posted 147/8 in their 20 overs after batting first. Chasing the target, Kolkata Knight Riders successfully reached 148/6 in 18.5 overs to register an important victory.
Manish Pandey played a crucial innings for KKR, scoring 45 runs off 33 balls. Interestingly, although this was his fourth appearance of the season, it marked the first time he got an opportunity to bat.
His match-winning performance has sparked widespread appreciation on social media, with fans praising his patience, hard work, and positive attitude despite limited opportunities this season.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane also praised the experienced batter after the match. Rahane stated that Manish Pandey’s work ethic and attitude remained outstanding even when he was not part of the playing action regularly.
The innings has once again highlighted Manish Pandey’s experience and ability to deliver under pressure whenever given an opportunity.
