Manish Pandey shares excitement for big series: Karnataka’s captain was elated after winning yet another domestic tournament.
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During the final match of the recently concluded season of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in Surat, Karnataka captain Manish Pandey became the first captain to lift two titles of the same tournament in the same year and on consecutive occasions.
After Tamil Nadu captain Dinesh Karthik won the toss and chose to field, it was Pandey’s 26th T20 half-century which powered Karnataka to 180/5 in their allotted quota of 20 overs.
Easily among the best domestic captains in India, Pandey followed his “much-needed” innings with a game-changing run-out in the last over of the match. With Tamil Nadu needing four runs off two balls, Pandey’s pinpoint throw from long-on found Vijay Shankar short of his crease at the striker’s end.
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“When everybody tells me that I am the best fielder in the team, you have to take the responsibility. I have taken it upon me to field there [long-on] and all the practice comes helpful in a situation like this and that run-out probably changed the game,” Pandey was quoted as saying about his run-out during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Manish Pandey shares excitement for big series
Much like many others present in Surat for this tournament, Pandey also thanked the spectators at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium for showing constant support throughout the tournament.
“For all the games that we played in Surat, the crowds turned up. We have some good stars they’ve come to watch and hopefully they’ll remember this match for a long time,” Pandey said.
Pandey, who is slated to get married today, couldn’t hide his excitement regarding the joyous occasion. Being asked about the three-match T20I series against West Indies from December 6, Pandey highlighted the “big series” before December 6.
“Yeah, definitely [looking forward to the India series], but before that there is one more big series to come, getting married tomorrow. So, [laughs] hopefully it’s gonna be a good one,” Pandey added.
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