Manish Pandey named in Karnataka probables for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Manish Pandey has been included in Karnataka’s list of probables for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the state selectors announced in Bengaluru on October 29, 2026. The 37-year-old former Karnataka captain returns to the probables nearly two years after he last represented the state.
Pandey was eased out of the Karnataka squad across formats in December 2024 and has since played only nine Indian Premier League matches for Kolkata Knight Riders across the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Selectors signalled they were willing to look past his limited recent game time because of his ongoing activity in training and his availability.
“Last year didn’t go well for us and we won just two matches. We felt we needed some experience and strength in batting. Since Manish is fit, we thought he will be a good inclusion,” Amit Verma, chairman of the selection committee, told The Hindu.
“He has been training, and he still practises. He has been with KKR for the last three years and he will be motivated to do well ahead of the IPL auction [in December],” Amit Verma added when explaining the decision.
Selectors also pointed to Pandey’s fielding and fitness; in May he pulled off a one-handed catch at backward point to dismiss Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Tim David, an effort to which even Virat Kohli doffed his hat. The catch was cited as evidence of his continued athleticism.
Pandey led Karnataka when the state won back-to-back Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy titles in 2018-19 and 2019-20, and he was captain when Karnataka finished runner-up to Tamil Nadu in 2021-22. Those previous results under his captaincy were referenced by selectors during discussions about experience.
In the 2026 Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20, Manish scored 291 runs from nine innings at a strike-rate of 177.44, a performance the selectors noted alongside his fielding displays.
Karnataka’s Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign will commence on November 14 with a match against Bengal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The probables named by the selectors are: Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Manish Pandey, R. Smaran, K.V. Aneesh, Rohan A. Patil, Macneil H. Noronha, Abhinav Manohar, Aneeshwar Gautam, S.J. Nikin Jose, Shreyas Gopal, Shikhar Shetty, Shreesha S. Achar, Pravin Dubey, Ritesh Bhatkal, Madhav Bajaj, Shubhang Hegde, V. Vyshak, Vidwath Kaverappa, Abhilash Shetty, L.R. Kumar, Arbind Kumar Rai, Manvanth Kumar, K.L. Shrijith, Luvnith Sisodia, B.R. Sharath.
