Manish Pandey has been part of the TATA IPL story right from the beginning — one of only four players to feature in every season since its inception. He etched his name into league folklore in 2009, when he smashed 114 off 73 balls for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Deccan Chargers, becoming the first Indian to score an IPL hundred — a landmark moment in the tournament’s early years. Pandey’s IPL journey has taken him across franchises, but it was with Kolkata Knight Riders that he produced his most defining performance. His 94 off 50 balls against PBKS in the 2014 final earned him Player of the Match as KKR clinched the title. Stints with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants followed, before he returned to KKR in 2024 as an Impact Player option to arrest a collapse. He was also part of their title-winning squad that season and will again wear the purple and gold in the 2026 edition. A domestic stalwart, Pandey has scored over 20,ooo runs, winning multiple titles with Karnataka. He has also represented India in over 50 white-ball internationals.