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Manish Pandey may have ended up on the losing side against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but the veteran KKR batter produced a moment in Raipur that instantly entered the conversation for catch of IPL 2026. Pandey pulled off a stunning one-handed flying grab to dismiss Tim David, leaving Virat Kohli, Kartik Tyagi and even his own Kolkata teammates completely stunned.
As Tim David threw his hands at a short-of-length delivery from Kartik Tyagi on the final ball of the 18th over, the ball flew quickly towards backward point. For a split second, it looked destined to race away.
However, Pandey reacted sharply to his non-dominant side, flinging himself low and full stretch to his left before somehow sticking out one hand and holding on to the ball inches above the turf.
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For a moment, almost nobody on the field seemed to believe he had actually completed the catch. Tyagi instantly stood with his hands on his head in disbelief, while David himself looked frozen before turning towards the umpire, seemingly unsure whether the effort was even possible. At the non-striker’s end, Virat Kohli could only stand with his mouth open watching the replay unfold.
Even several KKR fielders rushed towards Pandey wearing expressions closer to shock than celebration.
HOW MANISH PANDEY PULLED OFF THE STUNNER
The dismissal came during RCB’s chase of 193 in the final stages of the innings.
By then, Bengaluru had already largely taken control of the contest thanks to Virat Kohli’s brilliant century and another important contribution from Devdutt Padikkal at the top. Tim David arrived late in the innings looking to finish the chase quickly before Pandey produced his moment of magic.
Tyagi bowled a skiddy good-length delivery outside off, and David attempted to cut it hard behind point. The connection came slightly uppishly, but the ball still travelled quickly and awkwardly towards backward point.
Pandey, however, reacted instantly.
Moving sharply to his left, he launched himself full stretch and completed the catch one-handed with his weaker hand in what immediately became one of the standout fielding moments of the season.
The replay only made the effort look even more ridiculous.
From the angle of the dive to the pace at which the ball travelled, it looked almost impossible that Pandey managed to cling onto it cleanly.
VIRAT KOHLI’S CENTURY SPOILS KKR’S NIGHT
Unfortunately for KKR, Pandey’s effort ultimately arrived in a losing cause.
The night belonged to Virat Kohli and RCB.
Playing in his milestone 279th IPL appearance to become the most-capped player in tournament history, Kohli bounced back from consecutive ducks in perfect fashion by smashing his ninth IPL century.
The knock also helped Kohli end his brief lean patch in style after the discussions around his back-to-back ducks before the game.
Supported by Devdutt Padikkal at the top and timely contributions through the chase, RCB eventually defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets to further strengthen their playoff push.
For KKR though, the defeat made their qualification path even more complicated despite one unforgettable moment from Manish Pandey that had almost everyone in Raipur questioning if they had just witnessed the catch of the season.
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