OTD | Manish Pandey, first Indian to hit century in IPL, was born in 1989

India is known to produce Cricket stars who prove themselves at a very young age and make their names in future. One of the forgotten Indian players, who could have made his name bigger in the game of Cricket is Manish Pandey, who was born today on September 10 in 1989.

Manish came to the limelight during the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 when he became the first Indian to hit a century in the richest Cricket league. He was just 19 years old when he smashed the century and etched his name in history.

Manish has been a veteran player in IPL as he played a crucial role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) 2014 IPL victory. However, the right-handed batter didn’t find success on the international platform. The main reason for him not getting success in the international circuit was his strike rate. There are many instances when Manish was trolled because of his low strike rate.

However, his first-class stats are terrific as he has scored 7836 runs in 113 matches at an impressive average of 51.21. He has also led Karnataka in many domestic tournaments and also won the Syed Mushtaq Ali as a captain in 2021. There was a time when Manish was considered as India’s potential vice-captain in the limited overs format. However, he couldn’t utilise the opportunities given to him.

The 35-year-old Cricketer is still playing domestic cricket and is a part of KKR’s team in IPL. However, his chances of making a comeback in India’s national team are almost finished as there are multiple young stars who are eying the opportunity to play for the Indian team.