Manish Pandey said that he has not give up on his hopes of making a comeback for India. The veteran is set to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after returning to the franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. In the auction that took place in December 2023, the Knights picked Pandey at his base price of INR 50 lakhs. Pandey made his debut for India back in 2015 on the tour of Zimbabwe. But he has never been able to cement his place in the national side.
The 34-year-old batter last donned the national jersey on the tour of Sri Lanka in 2021. Pandey reckoned that an excellent season with the bat for KKR could help him find his place back into the Indian team.
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“Yes, definitely. India are playing a lot of games with multiple squads. So I’m pretty sure, if you have a good IPL or a string of good performances, you can come back into the side anytime,” Pandey told Sportskeeda.
“You obviously don’t want anybody to get injured, but that’s how the doors open for any player to make a comeback. But for me, it’ll be important to play good cricket, to start with,” he said.
‘Gautam Gambhir is very passionate’
Pandey also sounded happy after reuniting with Gautam Gambhir. Earlier, Pandey played under Gambhir before making a move. While Pandey has returned as a player, Gambhir has made his comeback as a mentor.
“He is somebody who always wants his players to do well. That’s what I’ve learnt from GG. He’s been very passionate about the game and his energy on the field is unmatched. And that’s what we learn as players, when your captain or leader is leaving everything on the field. I’ve made sure I try to replicate that in every game I play,” he added.
The Knights will play their first match on Saturday, March 23, against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
