Karnataka announce probables for Vijay Hazare Trophy, leaves out the 1st Indian to score an IPL hundred
Experienced batter Manish Pandey was among the notable absentees from Karnataka's recently announced preliminary squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. The 35-year-old was overlooked by the selection committee to give more opportunities to youngsters.
It is worth mentioning that Pandey is the first Indian batter to hit a century in the Indian Premier League. Playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the right-hander etched his name in the history books with an unbeaten 114-run knock against the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in 2009.
Pandey has also played 39 T20Is and 29 ODIs for Team India and has 1,275 runs to his name across formats. However, it seems like the selectors are ready to look past the seasoned campaigner to pave the way for young talents.
It is worth mentioning that Pandey was named Karnataka's vice-captain in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He scored 117 runs from five outings at an average of 29.25 and a strike rate of 169.56.
The side failed to qualify for the knockout stage, winning just three out of their seven games in the group stage. They will hope to turn things around in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Karnataka's probables for Vijay Hazare Trophy: K.L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Prasidh Krishna, Devdutt Padikkal, L.R. Chethan, Macneil Noronha, Shreyas Gopal, K.L. Shrijith, Abhinav Manohar, Manoj Bhandage, Hardik Raj, V. Koushik, Vidyadhar Patil, Shubhang Hegde, Abhilash Shetty, Mohsin Khan, R. Smaran, Luvnith Sisodia, V. Vyshak, Manvanth Kumar, Yashovardhan Parantap, Pravin Dubey, M. Venkatesh, Nikin Jose, K.V. Aneesh, K. Shashikumar, Paras Gurbax Arya, Shikhar Shetty, Kishan Bedare, Harshil Dharmani, Vidwath Kaverappa, and Kruthik Krishna.
"Will not come back for the second leg of the Ranji Trophy"- Karnataka selection committee chairman on Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey was the designated vice-captain of Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25. However, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) men's selection committee chairman J. Abhiram confirmed that the veteran batter won't feature in the squad for the second leg of the domestic tournament.
He also stated that he had a conversation with Pandey regarding the committee's decision to drop him. Leaving the door open for the senior player to continue his association with the state in a coaching role, Abhiram told Sportstar:
"Pandey will not come back for the second leg of the Ranji Trophy. We have K.V. Aneesh in the reserves; he should come in. Now it is up to the youngsters to make full use of all chances. I had a word with Pandey, and I explained all the reasons for this decision. We would like him to stay connected with Karnataka cricket, perhaps as a coach or in any other role. It is very hard to have this sort of tough conversation. But this is the circle of life."
Manish Pandey will be part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for IPL 2025 after being re-signed by the defending champions at ₹75 lakh during the IPL 2025 auction.