IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders’ batter Manish Pandey has been a familiar face for not just the franchise but for the fans as well, who have been following the league for a long time. From debuting at the age of 19 to becoming the first Indian player to score a century in the league, Pandey has come a long way in his career, representing various franchises across seasons. The 36-year-old is among the four players who have played in all 19 seasons of the IPL as the elite list features players such as MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma.
In an interaction posted by the official X handle of IPL, Pandey reflected on this ‘privilege’ which is experienced by only four players in world cricket.
“It’s been a great journey for me – 19 years and 19th year going on right now. Started with MI in the first year after the U19 World Cup. It was a great memory to start with, but honestly, it feels like it has all just passed in a flash, in a moment. So I’ve seen from 2008 to about 2026, this year going on. It’s been a great memory overall in general, and happy to be one of those few players who’ve been part of all the IPLs and trying to do justice to myself, to this game. It’s purely here because of the passion and the love for the game,” Manish Pandey said.
From the U19 World Cup to 19 seasons in the IPL — one of just four players to feature in every #TATAIPL edition, @im_manishpandey reflects on a remarkable journey 💜 – By @Moulinparikh#KhelBindaas | #MIvKKR https://t.co/KNZPSzFhb3
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 29, 2026
Pandey, while playing for RCB in 2009, surprised everyone by becoming the first Indian cricketer to score a century in the IPL.
“Absolutely. We were just young, 18-19 year olds, just trying to discover the game, discover yourself. In the second season, I got a hundred in South Africa in IPL 2009 for RCB, and it was a great feeling.
“The way the tournament was going for us, I was not expecting that I’d open the inning and get that opportunity to get those runs, which has helped me a lot. But definitely, it was a great memory being the first Indian to get a hundred and the youngest then. But now it’s obviously somebody else has the record.
“But just being in the situation from that point of view is really amazing. This game has taught us a lot. Obviously, this tournament has taught us a lot and we are continuously evolving with it. Hopefully, we learn a lot more. It was a little different back then when we started.
“We all were still understanding the whole dynamics of the tournament and ourselves that we were discovering. It has come a long way. IPL has grown so much in these 19 years and I’m pretty sure that it will just keep on growing for ages to come. Not only from the players’ perspective, but from everybody, the sponsors, fans and the amount of joy this game or tournament has given to a lot of fans is unbelievable,” he elaborated.
Even 160 Would Be A Good Score: Pandey
Pandey further stated that the IPL has grown into one of the most influential tournaments in the cricketing world and provides a platform for young talent to emerge.
“For us as players, back then, even 160 would be a good score and 140 was defended. But now, the pace of the game has changed. It’s a lot faster – so many high-scoring games. The kind of bowlers, the kind of variations that come in, there are too many now.
“So, it has really evolved and I’m happy to see it being in the center of the whole thing. IPL is one of the main tournaments in world cricket right now. Obviously, it has tested a lot of players who have seen it for one year and some who have, you know, seen it for a very long time. Obviously, it has really helped cricket to grow in general. As I said, in the center of all the affairs where it comes to discovering talents and then moving.”
“Even as a player, I think IPL, what it has done is made the game go bigger in terms of, kind of, the talents that are coming in, the kind of requirement this game has right now. So, IPL has done all that for all the players and I am happy to see all this. We do think about playing for India all the time – that’s always been our dream.”
“So, what really helps you play for India is tournaments like these. As Indians, we always think about playing for India after this because IPL is something that people look at and selectors are following. So, definitely it is a great journey. If we talk about pressure, there is pressure because, as I said, this tournament is such where you have to perform to stay here and luckily, I’ve been doing that for a while,” he said.
with inputs from agency
