Manish Pandey completes 4,000 runs in IPL

India and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batting veteran Manish Pandey completed 4,000 runs in his Indian Premier League (IPL) career. Manish became the 21st member of IPL's 4,000 run club during his side's IPL match against Delhi Capitals (DC), where he scored a quickfire 25 in 16 balls, with two fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 156.25.

In 180 IPL matches and 164 innings, he has made 4,012 runs at an average of 29.50 and a strike rate of 121.53, including a century and 22 fifties. His best score is 114*. With KKR, a franchise he represented from 2014-17 and then from 2024 to the present day, he has made 1,646 runs at an average of 33.59 and a strike rate of 128.39, with seven fifties in 70 matches and 63 innings, with a best score of 94. He is the team's seventh-highest run-getter. This season, he has made 70 runs in two innings at an average of 35.00 and a strike rate of 142.85, with a best score of 45.

He also had a lengthy stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) from 2018-2021, scoring 1,345 runs in 51 matches and 47 innings at an average of 35.39 and a strike rate of 124.76, with 12 fifties and a best score of 83*. He is SRH's sixth-highest run-getter.

After featuring for MI in his debut season back in 2008, for just three matches, Manish made his name with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) from 2009-10, scoring 569 runs in 24 matches and 23 innings at an average of 31.61 and a strike rate of 119.78, with a century and fifty, becoming the first Indian to score an IPL century back in 2009.

He has also had stints with the Pune Warriors India (PWI) from 2011-13, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022 and Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2023. He was the fourth-highest run-getter for PWI, with 525 runs in 25 innings at an average of 23.86, with a strike rate of over 110 and three fifties.

For LSG in 2022, he made 88 runs in six innings, with a best score of 38, while for DC, he made 160 runs in 10 matches and nine innings, with a half-century to his name and a best score of 50.

Coming to the match, KKR opted to bowl first and knocks from KL Rahul (60 in 30 balls, with five fours and four sixes) and skipper Axar Patel (39 in 25 balls, with three fours and two sixes) took DC to 203/5 in 20 overs, with Saurabh Dubey (2/28) being the leading wicket-taker for KKR.

For KKR, skipper Ajinkya Rahane (63 in 39 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) did put up a fight; however, there was a lack of support from other batters as KKR sank to 163/10 in 18.4 overs, with Kuldeep Yadav (3/29) and Lungi Ngidi (3/27 in 3.4 overs) being DC's top bowlers. Mitchell Starc also got two wickets.