Manish Pandey’s selection for the 2026 IPL marks a historic moment as he becomes only the third player to feature in every IPL season since its inception. He was chosen by the Kolkata Knight Riders for their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Before this development, there were expectations surrounding veteran players like MS Dhoni, who has played 18 seasons but missed the 2026 edition due to injury. Pandey, however, defied expectations by continuing his career at age 36.
The decisive moment came when Pandey was bought for Rs 75 lakh at the auction. He replaced Ramandeep Singh in the KKR playing XI and made his first appearance since last year.
Key statistics:
- Manish Pandey has played in all 19 seasons of the IPL.
- He started his IPL career with Mumbai Indians in 2008.
- Pandey became the first Indian to score a century in the IPL in 2009.
- He was part of KKR’s title-winning campaign in 2014.
- Pandey scored 400 runs during KKR’s title-winning season in 2014.
Pandey joins an elite group of players, including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have also appeared in every season. This achievement highlights his resilience and adaptability over nearly two decades.
Quotes from Ajinkya Rahane:
- “We wanted to bat first as well.”
- “It really helped us as a team, re-coupling and thinking about the things which we did right and the improvement point of view.”
- “It’s all about winning those moments, small, small moments in this format.”
Pandey’s journey through six different teams exemplifies his versatility. His continued presence adds depth to KKR and showcases his enduring talent within the league.