"You obviously want to win against these guys": Manish Pandey on facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 17 (ANI): Ahead of an all-important clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Saturday, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Manish Pandey expressed his thoughts on the 58th encounter of the cash rich league.

On Monday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the resumption of the 18th season of the IPL and revealed the schedule for the remaining 17 fixtures.

The BCCI suspended the cash-rich league for a week due to tensions between India and Pakistan.

Speaking on the clash at the pre-match press conference, Manish Pandey said, "Nothing much to lose from here. We could have a better tournament as a team, we were discussing that. We lost a very crucial game in the middle. Two more games to go, so every player in the lineup is eager to perform. Especially in a stadium like Chinnaswamy, and where RCB fans are there, you obviously want to win against these guys."

The Knight Riders have a rivalry against the RCB side for a long time now. The most interesting fixture between the two side was back in 2017 when the Kolkata bowlers rattled the Bengaluru batting order at a mere total of 49, which is the lowest by any team so far in the history of IPL.

KKR have dominated the RCB side at the M. Chinnasamy Stadium in last 10 years as they have not lost a single game at the venue since 2015.

Speaking on the clash at the pre-match press conference, Manish Pandey said, "Nothing much to lose from here. We could have a better tournament as a team, we were discussing that. We lost a very crucial game in the middle. Two more games to go, so every player in the lineup is eager to perform. Especially in a stadium like Chinnaswamy, and where RCB fans are there, you obviously want to win against these guys."

IPL is set to resume on May 17 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru squaring off against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

RCB are currently placed at second in the points table, with eight victories and three defeats in 11 matches. KKR are placed at sixth with five wins and six defeats in 12 matches. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)