Manish Pandey played a composed knock of 45 off 33 balls to help Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) chase down 148 in 18.5 overs and defeat Mumbai Indians by four wickets at Eden Gardens on 21 May, keeping the three-time champions' playoff hopes firmly alive. The batter later revealed he had been padded up and ready for the previous four games without getting a chance to bat.

Four Games on the Bench, One Defining Knock

Pandey disclosed that he had been pushed down the order across the last four matches, spending each game in full batting gear waiting for an opportunity that never came — until Wednesday. 'Great opportunity for me, as you rightly said. For four games, I was padded up, waiting for my chances. But I think the way we batted the last four games was unbelievable, and you kept on pushing me down the order. That's completely fine,' he said in a video released by IPL on X, speaking to Abhishek Nayar.

When finally told he would bat at number three, Pandey said he began his mental preparation the moment he stepped off the ground. 'As we say, we keep changing, we use the opportunity left, right, and middle. That's the game plan. When I was told I was batting at number three, I started preparing myself as soon as I was coming out of the ground,' he added.

Crucial Partnerships Turned the Chase

On a difficult, two-paced surface, Pandey stitched vital stands with skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Rovman Powell to steer the chase. He credited Rahane's calm guidance at the crease for keeping the innings on track. 'Talking to Ajju (Ajinkya Rahane), he kept telling me about having a small partnership and watching the ball closely. That's what I did. The partnership between me and Ajju and then me and Rovman was really crucial. It took us to the stage where 25 were needed off the last 25 balls,' Pandey said.

Powell contributed a quickfire 40 lower down the order, before Rinku Singh sealed the win with a boundary in the penultimate over.

Process Over Pressure

Pandey emphasised that sustained preparation — not just match-day readiness — had kept him sharp through an extended wait. 'It's an everyday process. Preparing for IPL, you're coming after the domestic season. For me, it was about working on fitness and spending time on the wicket. I was preparing for a long time for this tournament,' he said.

'You guys had shown a lot of trust in me as well. I wanted to make sure I was preparing really well whenever the opportunity came. Process is very important. You keep playing well, you keep working because you never know when the chance comes, and you have to grab it from both ends,' he added.

KKR Bowlers Set Up the Win

Earlier in the match, KKR's bowling unit restricted Mumbai Indians to 147/8. Cameron Green and Saurabh Dubey picked up two wickets each to keep MI's total well within reach. The disciplined bowling effort gave KKR's batters a platform to chase with confidence on a surface that offered variable bounce.

With this win, KKR remain in contention for a playoff berth, and Pandey's return to form at a critical juncture could prove to be a turning point in their campaign.