New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta said veteran batter Manish Pandey repaid Kolkata Knight Riders’s faith brilliantly with a composed and impactful innings in the side’s four-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens.

Batting for the first time in the season, Pandey anchored KKR’s chase with a steady 45 off 33 balls on a difficult two-paced wicket, while Rovman Powell added a valuable 40 as KKR chased down 148 in 18.5 overs to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Dasgupta praised Pandey’s calmness and ability to handle pressure during a tense low-scoring chase. “Manish Pandey has always had a special ability to contribute with both bat and on the field. He has batted in multiple positions, and at this stage of his career, he knows how to use his experience effectively. That is exactly what he did against Mumbai,” he told Jio Hotstar.

“It was a tricky chase. Low-scoring games are always tense. After losing early wickets in the Powerplay, he could have gone into a shell. But he didn’t. He played with positive intent, took calculated risks, hit over the infield, and was brave enough to go aerial when needed,” Dasgupta added.

He also highlighted the importance of the partnership between Pandey and Powell after KKR stumbled early in the chase. “That is why this partnership between Rovman Powell and Manish Pandey was so crucial. Manish was batting for the first time this season, and Rovman has also not had many opportunities to come out and bat. It is good to see them contribute,” he said.

The former cricketer added that experienced players must justify the confidence shown in them by franchises, and Pandey did exactly that against Mumbai.

“It is good to see Manish get a game and play an impactful innings. Once you have been part of the IPL for such a long period of time and teams show faith in you, you must repay that faith. Manish did that quite brilliantly against Mumbai,” Dasgupta added.

Dasgupta further noted that MI were probably 25-30 runs short on a difficult batting surface despite some early breakthroughs by their bowlers.

“It was a tricky surface to bat on for sure. Mumbai Indians, having been put into bat first, would certainly have felt that they were 25 to 30 runs short. After the initial breakthroughs that Mumbai Indians’ bowlers got, it felt at one point that if they picked up a couple more wickets, maybe the third and fourth, they could fancy their chances of winning this game,” he said.

KKR eventually completed the chase with four wickets in hand, with Rinku Singh hitting the winning boundary to keep Kolkata alive in the race for the playoffs.

–IANS

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