"KKR’s very own knight is back" - Fans hail Manish Pandey for crucial 31-ball 42 in MI-KKR IPL 2024 clash

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Manish Pandey turned back the clock with a pivotal knock of 42 from 31 deliveries against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on May 3.

Pandey was part of the KKR setup from 2014 to 2017, helping the franchise win their 2nd IPL title in his first season. However, his stocks decreased considerably in the next few years before KKR acquired his services at the IPL 2024 auction.

The 34-year-old did not feature in a single game up to this point for KKR and was likely to warm the benches again in the MI clash despite being named as one of the Impact Subs. Yet, KKR lost an array of wickets to be reduced to 57/5 in the seventh over, forcing the think tank to send Pandey as the Impact Sub.

And the resolute batter took his opportunity with both hands, scoring 42 and adding a crucial 83 runs with Venkatesh Iyer for the 6th wicket to bail KKR out of trouble.

The knock drew massive praise from fans on Twitter, with several reminiscing the days with KKR during his first stint.

Here are some of the best reactions:

The praises continued for Pandey with one fan saying:

"If a KKR fan who has seen the 2014 IPL final just woke up from coma after 10 years sees Manish Pandey on the crease, he would think that he’s a legend of the game who has served KKR for more than a decade, still performing when the team is in pressure."

"2 off 31 when the team was in trouble if he got out KKR wouldn't have scored 100+ and playing his first game against the strongest bowling line-up. Mind-blowing stuff from Sir Manish Pandey," said another fan.

"My forever kkr crush Manish Pandey you did well today," tweeted a fan.

---

KKR fold for a below-par 169 in their batting innings

Despite Manish Pandey's 42 and Venkatesh Iyer's 70, KKR finished on a sub-par 169 in 19.5 overs on a seemingly flat Wankhede wicket.

After staging a brilliant recovery from 57/5, KKR endured a second collapse from 140/5 to 169 all-out. Nuwan Thushara and Jasprit Bumrah were the pick of the MI bowlers with three wickets each, while skipper Hardik Pandya chipped in with two.

KKR is sitting pretty on second in the points table with six wins in nine outings, while MI is in must-win territory to keep their playoff hopes alive with only three wins in 10 games. A win in the ongoing clash will help MI snap a three game-losing streak, while a defeat will be the third in their last five matches for KKR.