Manish Pandey was a part of the KKR franchise from 2014 to 2017 before SRH bought him.
The upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) is just a few days away and the teams are busy with their penultimate preparations. Two-time IPL winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will hope to turn around their fortunes from last season after missing the playoffs and finishing at the 7th spot.
In their quest for a third title, the franchise broke the bank to sign 2023 ODI World Cup winner Mitchell Starc for the highest-ever amount (INR 24.75 crore) in IPL history.
KKR also opened their doors for middle-order batter Manish Pandey’s return for the upcoming edition, buying him for his base price of INR 50 lakhs in last December’s auction.
Manish Pandey was a part of the KKR franchise from 2014 to 2017 before the mega auction where Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured his services for a whopping INR 11 crore.
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Speaking about his homecoming, the 34-year-old said, “It’s a special feeling to come back home to Kolkata Knight Riders. This franchise has given me a lot, be it some of the memorable games, trophies. It is a special franchise and I am happy about this homecoming. Looking forward to creating some good memories again.”
He added, “For Gauti Bhai as well, it is a homecoming and we have had some special memories together. I am here to win KKR as many matches as possible”
Apart from KKR, the right-hander has played for three other franchises (SRH, DC and LSG). However, his top performances with the bat came in KKR colours in 2014 and 2017.
Interestingly, the last time KKR won a title, Pandey scored over 400 runs in a season. Pandey’s exceptional title-winning knock of 94 off 50 balls in the IPL 2014 final helped KKR win their second IPL title.
He will once again hope to do an encore and justify his purchase.
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