Manish Pandey wants upcoming Zimbabwe tour to be a fresh start for his international career
Manish Pandey may not be a regular in India’s limited-overs side but he is hoping that he can keep performing and become a regular member of the side in the upcoming year. The 26-year-old also spoke about how important fielding is and the upcoming series against Zimbabwe.
Manish Pandey made his debut against Zimbabwe last year but admits this tour with a team devoid of the regular starters will be a “fresh start”. In his short yet memorable career, he already has an ODI hundred to his name.
Speaking about his international career so far to bcci.tv, he said :“It was a crucial innings (against Zimbabwe) for me and the team. I got the opportunity and I did justice to that. It was a good start and the right booster for me. Some time has passed since that game in Australia (January), but the memories and images of that game will stay with me. It is always good to have some confidence behind you.”
He also spoke about his goals for the future. “My goal is to keep performing and make sure that I fit into that Indian XI and become a permanent member of the squad. My goal for the next couple of years is to be a part of the Indian team and to win games for India. I am working hard towards that and I want to achieve that.
This is again going to be a fresh start. We were there last year around the same time and I made my debut in Zimbabwe. It is good to go back there and share those memories, score some runs for India and do my duty.”
Good performance in Zimbabwe will certainly enhance his credentials for a regular spot, which is impressive already thanks to him being the maiden Indian IPL centurion as well as some exceptional fielding performances both domestically and internationally.
About his fielding, Pandey said: “I spend as much time on fielding as I spend on my batting. Fielding is a very important part of the game. Some great catches and run-outs definitely change the momentum of the game. I make sure I give enough time to my fielding which helps in my resume as I am a (specialist) batsman.”
Although India’s squad for Zimbabwe isn’t high on experience, it is still led by MS Dhoni, and Pandey wants to do his bit to improve himself and the team.
“All of us have either played in the same team in domestic cricket or against each other. It is a good mix of boys that we have. I am young and have just started my international career. This is an opportunity for me to prove myself again and also take care of the youngsters and help them.”