Finally in Manish Pandey, IPL II sees the rise of a little known Indian batsman with talent
Finally in Manish Pandey, IPL II sees the rise of a little known Indian batsman with talent
If there was one negative point about the 2009 Indian Premier League, it was the lack any new young Indian talent making an impact n the matches. After all, unearthing talent is one of the most important goal of the tournament.
There have been a few young Indian bowlers to make their mark in these bowler-friendly conditions.
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But unlike the Jadejas, Yusufs and Asnodkars who made their name in the inaugural year, the young batsmen have struggled in the second edition.
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Royal Challengers Bangalore's 19-year-old opener hit a breathtaking unbeaten 114 to raise interest in an otherwise inconsequential game against Deccan Chargers yesterday. He raced to 114 off just 73 balls with 10 fours and four sixes.
Apart from being only the second hundred of the tournament and the first from an Indian in either of the editions, it was the manner in which Pandey got those runs that caught the eye. Pandey warmed the hearts with his delectable timing.
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He had plenty of time to play his shots, placed the ball with precision and the graceful wristwork was a joy to watch.
On top of that, he also showed a good sense of running between the wickets. He did not seem to sprint but covered the ground swiftly with long strides, keeping the Chargers fielding under pressure with 22 singles and 14 doubles.
It's too early to say much after just one innings, but Pandey has shown enough promise during the innings that he deserves to be given the right platform to make it to the next grade.
Quick learner
Pandey has shown that he's a quick learner. Last season he was with the Mumbai Indians but could not capitalise on the couple of chances he got.
But, the improvement he's shown within one season is impressive. MI did not renew his one-year contract, though after his display yesterday, MI would have for sure wished they had persisted with this talent.
The icing on the cake for Pandey was that his effort helped Challengers win the game. Having scored 170 for four, Challengers restricted Chargers to 158 for six to win by 12 runs.
The main reward was that the winner avoided meeting the in-form top-placed Delhi Daredevils in the semis today and earned a day's rest.
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