“We knew that IPL 2025 would start again …”: Why KKR star Manish Pandey did not stop the team, this training stopped this training

Kolkata Knight Riders Batter Manish Pandey said that the team was still focusing on training and preparations for the match, when the IPL was stopped due to the Indo-Pak military conflict as they were convinced of the league being resumed and believe that perhaps the forced mini-break could actually help them find their touch again. KKR will face the Shahi Challengers Bangalore in the winning match here on Saturday, so that their playoff hopes survive. “This (mid-tournament break) does not really change too much because as professional cricketers, we know what to do. We definitely knew that the tournament would start again, but we did not know how soon.

“We were still in the gym and were doing our work on the game. The whole team is here and everyone is ready to go and we are eager to be a great game,” he said.

Although a defeat against RCB will pay KKR’s knockout stage ambitions, Pandey did not see it as a pressure point.

“You know, there is nothing to lose from here. In fact, we thought we could do a better tournament as a team. We were discussing it, but still, we lost some games in the middle.

“If you think of those important games, you want you to win those games now. But yes, of course two more to play. Everyone wants to perform,” he said.

KKR is a strong side on paper, but they have not been able to perform continuously this season.

Pandey blamed the defeat for the inability to sew a series of victory together like last year.

“Last time when we were winning the game, a lot of games, which are very important in a tournament like IPL. This time we were winning one, but one was lost. The whole tournament was like that.

He said, “Our batting has been fine. We are really bowling well. It has been a year where it is a little patching in terms of both performances, batting and bowling. Hopefully we will have a similar strong core for next year and win the game as we were doing last year,” he said.

On a positive note, Pandey hoped that the unpredictable mid-event break KKR would help regain some mojo in his last two matches.

“But such a break can certainly help. I am sure people must have gone back home and watched their videos and tried to work on some things that they did not have the opportunity to do.

“So, I think it should be a good break. As I said, the only thing I am expecting is to win the last two matches and end on a high,” he said.

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