Despite not currently featuring in international cricket, the veteran Indian batsman Manish Pandey continues to display his formidable batting abilities. After a long break, he returned to action, making a significant impact on the bowlers. Playing in the Maharaja Trophy, approximately two and a half months after the IPL 2025 season, Manish Pandey dominated with the bat, leaving the bowlers struggling. The seasoned batsman reached his half-century in just 25 balls in his first tournament match.
With various states in India hosting T20 leagues, the new season of the Maharaja Trophy, a T20 league organized by the Karnataka State Cricket Association, kicked off on August 11, Monday. The second match of the season saw Mysore Warriors compete against Bengaluru Blasters. This match also marked the return of Mysore captain Manish Pandey, who had last played 77 days prior, on May 25, in IPL 2025.
In the season’s opening match, Captain Pandey showcased his exceptional batting skills, laying the foundation for a win. In this game, Manish’s team batted first and scored 180 runs while losing 5 wickets in 20 overs. However, at one point, the team faced a difficult situation, with 5 wickets down for a mere 94 runs in 12 overs.
Subsequently, Captain Manish took charge of the innings, hitting a half-century in just 25 balls. The 35-year-old Manish, along with Sumit Kumar, formed an 86-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Manish scored an unbeaten 58 runs off only 29 balls at a stunning strike rate of 200, including 4 fours and 4 massive sixes.
In response, Bengaluru faltered from the start, consistently losing wickets. At one stage, the team had lost 7 wickets for just 82 runs. Similar to Manish Pandey, Bengaluru’s captain Mayank Agarwal (66) fought to keep his team in the game. However, he did not receive support from the other end, and the entire team was dismissed for 141 runs in 19.2 overs. Mysore won this match convincingly by a margin of 39 runs.