Manish Pandey clobbered 23 runs off the last over as Kolkata Knight Riders recovered from a shaky start to post an imposing total of 178 for 7 in the seventh match of the Indian Premier League against Mumbai Indians.
After being asked to bat first by Rohit Sharma, the visitors began on a strong note with Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn adding 44 runs in only 26 balls. However, the scenario completely changed once Rohit Sharma introduced Krunal Pandya. The left-arm spinner accounted for Gambhir and Uthappa in the same to reduce KKR to 48 for 2. 19 runs later, Jasprit Bumrah trapped the in-form Lynn to pile more misery on the visitors. Failure of other batsmen only made the matters worse for the two-time champions but Manish Pandey held firm from one end and scored an unbeaten 81 off 47 deliveries to help his team post a challenging total. His innings was studded with 5 fours and as many sixes.
Here is how Twitter reacted to the innings:
#KKR were in danger of falling short. But this sensational burst from Manish Pandey has put them back in the game. Still gettable though
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 9, 2017
Elitist nutcases say there is no quality in T20. Watch this Manish Pandey innings.
— Alagappan Vijayakumar (@IndianMourinho) April 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/AllTimeBakchod/status/851105023446708224
you do get a taste of your own medicine!
Pandey is doing what Pandya did to RPS#IPL2017 @cricbuzz— Shreyansh Rathod (@shreyanshrathod) April 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/AllTimeBakchod/status/851101788430364672
https://twitter.com/sherryrats/status/851096164879519744
Caught by Hardik Pandya
Bowled by brother Krunal Pandya
Batsman Yousuf Pathan
Watching from home brother Irfan Pathan #MIvKKR #IPL10— The Goan Patiala ?. ? (@TheGoanPatiala) April 9, 2017
Manish Pandey & Shikhar Dhawan…. the ones who get back in form in April and are out of form again from June ?#IPL
— You'll Always Be My Captain (@MahiRat183) April 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/TroluKejri/status/851093607360679936