Manish Pandey is associated with KKR in IPL 2025
Manish Pandey is the first Indian to score a century in IPL. He did this feat in the second season of IPL i.e. IPL 2009. Playing for RCB in that season, Manish Pandey scored 114 runs against Deccan Chargers, scoring a brilliant century. Now in the 18th season of IPL i.e. IPL 2025, he is a part of Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR has added him to its ranks for Rs 75 lakh.
IPL people did amazing with Pandey ji
Dhoni, Rohit, and Virat were honoured with mementos for being together in the journey of IPL till its 18th year. Obviously, Manish Pandey should have been honoured in the same way. But the kind of pictures of Dhoni, Rohit, and Virat that came out, Manish Pandey's picture of being honoured was not seen in the same way. The question is why? And, the biggest thing is why is everyone silent from the IPL organisers' side regarding honouring Manish Pandey?
When the achievements are the same, then why no respect?
Just like the rules and regulations of cricket should be the same for every player, similarly, every player should be respected equally for the same achievement. But this was not seen in Manish Pandey's case. He did not get the respect and honour that Dhoni, Rohit, and Virat got.
18 years of IPL and Manish Pandey
Talking about Manish Pandey's performance after spending 18 years on the IPL pitch, he performed for 7 teams during this period, which included Mumbai Indians, RCB, Pune Warriors, KKR, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants, and Delhi Capitals. He has played 172 matches with these 7 teams so far, in which he has scored 3869 runs in 160 innings with 1 century.
Possible Reasons for Outrage:
Lack of Opportunities – Pandey, a seasoned player, may have been benched excessively despite form/experience.
Auction Snub – If he went unsold or was undervalued in recent auctions, fans might see it as disrespect.
On-Field Decisions – Poor batting order placement, early dismissals, or being dropped after a few failures.
Why the Silence?:
Team Strategies – Franchises prioritize youth (e.g., SRH, KKR backing new talent) over veterans.
Performance Metrics – Pandey’s recent IPL stats (avg. ~25 in 2023) may have influenced teams.
Media Bias – Bigger stars (Kohli, Dhoni) dominate headlines, overshadowing others.
Fan Reactions:
"Justice for Pandey" trends among supporters who recall his 2014 IPL final heroics (KKR).
Critics argue IPL franchises discard loyal players too quickly.
