IND vs NZ: Manish Pandey makes a name with performances and not outs

Manish Pandey celebrates his 50 during the fourth T20I v NZ at Wellington on Friday. Pic /AFP

Hamilton: While India created history by winning the T20 series against New Zealand 5-0, KL Rahul also became part of history when he registered the most runs in a T20 bilateral series.

There was one more record - Rahul's Karnataka teammate Manish Pandey - who is often overshadowed in a star-studded batting line-up. Pandey achieved a unique feat by being unbeaten for the seventh consecutive time in T20 cricket, the first one (2 not out) being in the third match of the 2019-20 series against the West Indies in Guyana last August, followed by a sequence of 22, 31 14, 14, 50 and 11 in the last game at Mount Maunganui, NZ on Sunday.

Pandey may get a look in during the forthcoming ODI series especially since Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the tour due to a calf injury.

Pandey has been dismissed only four times in his last 16 T20 innings and his average for the last series couldn't be calculated just like in the previous series against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in which he played a solitary game each.

This piece of statistic is probably an indication that finally Pandey, 30 is coming to terms with batting in the most difficult position (No. 6) in white ball cricket and more so in T20s. "Competition here is too tough, and I've got to make my place, have to squeeze in. So even if they give me No.6, I'm happy to take it. I'd love to keep contributing this way and helping my team win," admitted Pandey rather honestly after his unbeaten half century at Wellington on January 31.

Of late, Pandey has played some scintillating cameos (22' off 13 balls against Bangladesh in Nagpur and 31' off 18 balls against Sri Lanka in Pune) but this match winning half-century in Wellington (which is only his third in this format) is perhaps his defining knock.

This is a T20 World Cup year and everyone knows that performance in upcoming IPL will have a huge role to influence the selection. And, perhaps because of this reason, Pandey still want to bat higher for his franchise. "I would still bat No.3 when I go back to the IPL," Pandey said. "It gives me more of an opportunity and more chance to spend time on the wicket. It gives me little more extra time when I bat, with the way I bat," says Pandey.

Regardless of his fortune in shortest format Pandey still can't afford to relax. Despite an overseas hundred in an ODI in Sydney in a big run-chase which won his team the only game in an otherwise disastrous ODI series in Australia didn't allow him to cement his place in the side. In his last five ODI appearances, Pandey's highest score has been 11 and he just needs to cash on his current form to the three matches ODI series starting on Wednesday.

144
No. of runs scored by Manish Pandey in last seven T20I innings.

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