Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019: Manish Pandey believes Karnataka deserved to win nail-biting final against Tamil Nadu
Karnataka captain Manish Pandey led his team to a nerve-racking one-run win over Tamil Nadu in the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The win ensured Karnataka became the first team in the domestic circuit to defend their 20-over crown and also secured their 10th title in the last five years in domestic cricket.
Speaking to the media after the match, Pandey praised the commitment shown by the entire squad in their title defense.
“We won it last year but this year the victory was a lot sweeter. The way the boys played the entire tournament has been unbelievable. Everyone has put in so much effort that I thought it was a very good game. It was neck and neck but we deserved it. You have to enjoy each other’s success, and if you do, you have higher chances of winning finals like these.”
Pandey produced a well-calculated innings of 60 runs from 45 balls to help Karnataka post a total of 180 runs in their 20 overs.
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In reply, with only 13 runs required to win off the last six balls, Ravichandran Ashwin hit two astonishing boundaries to put Tamil Nadu in a commanding position, but Pandey’s herculean efforts in the field, which led to a Vijay Shankar run-out, ensured Karnataka came away with the victory. Speaking about his all-round efforts, Pandey stated:
“Hopefully, there is more to come. When everybody tells me that I am the best fielder in the team, you have to take responsibility. I have taken it upon myself to field there (long-on) and all the practice is helpful in a situation like this and that run-out probably changed the game. I’m looking forward to the India series. 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.”