IPL 2022 Auction: Three reasons why Ahmedabad must target Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey enters the IPL 2022 auction at a base price of INR 1 crore and will surely spark a bidding war. The former Sunrisers Hyderabad batter was not retained by the franchise ahead of the mega event, and while rumors suggest that he is indeed a target of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the nine other franchises will definitely look to acquire his services.

He made headlines in 2009 after lighting up the Centurion with a hundred that made him the first Indian to do so in the IPL. But since then Pandey has failed to replicate that success in the IPL and for India, despite being then labeled as a precocious talent set to take the country by storm.

Over the years, Pandey has jumped franchises and will look to make a new beginning in the IPL this year. Ideally, it's a win-win for both parties if he gets off to an explosive start and stays consistent.

Ahmedabad will be one of the teams keen to sign the Karnataka skipper ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction, and in many ways, the fit is a perfect one. Here's our reasoning as to why Pandey is a must-buy for the new franchise.

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#1 Leadership and a senior figure in the dressing room

Pandey's state captaincy and his one-off stand-in skipper gig for Hyderabad in the IPL 2021 show that he can lead a team. Statistically, he's led from the front each time he's walked out to call the toss and that gives Ahmedabad a reason to pick him in at the IPL 2022 Auction.

At 32, he will also be one of the senior figures in the dressing room who can share a thing or two with the rookies in the squad. Having played a number of innings at No.3 for SRH, Pandey will also be the de facto choice to take that spot.

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#2 Dependable top-order batter for a steal in the IPL 2022 Auction

Pandey, if he is bagged for around 6 to 8 crores, is still a steal for the franchise. With the World Cup looming, a successful stint with a new franchise is something that will work for the flamboyant batter if he's picked up by them at the IPL 2022 Auction.

The numbers are pretty solid too. 3560 runs from 157 IPL games at an average of 30.69 and a strike rate of 121.83 show that he has the ability to play long innings while also finding the rope regularly.

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#3 Gun fielder

Pandey is one of the best fielders in modern-day cricket and capable of both great ground fielding and taking blinders. This gives the franchise another reason to buy him at the IPL Auction 2022.

A classic example of his game awareness and exceptional athletic ability was the last-ball runout he affected against Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last season. The wicket forced a Super Over which Karnataka won.