Karnataka appears to be changing, with the KSCA selection committee chair, J. Abhiram, indicating they have "moved on" from several senior players as part of a reset. One of those left out is experienced batter Manish Pandey.  

According to the KSCA, Pandey's exclusion is based purely on recent form, making a comeback seem "unlikely." He scored just 117 runs in five innings as Karnataka failed to reach the SMAT knockouts, finishing fourth in their eight-team group, behind Baroda and Saurashtra.

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has decided not to consider Manish Pandey for the remainder of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season, despite his role as vice-captain earlier in the tournament. Pandey, who managed just one half-century in six innings this season, faces slim chances of a comeback as Karnataka's hopes for knockout qualification hinge on a miracle.  

"We as an association have realized that we need to move on from the players of old and bring in new blood," said KSCA selection committee chair J. Abhiram. "We cannot live in past glory."  

If this signals the end of Pandey's Karnataka career, it concludes an illustrious journey. He was part of two Ranji Trophy-winning squads (2013-14 and 2014-15) and led Karnataka to back-to-back Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy titles in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Pandey has an impressive first-class record, scoring 7973 runs in 118 matches at an average of 50.78, including 25 centuries. Across all formats, he has amassed over 13,000 runs. His last appearance for India was in 2021, and he was recently re-signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2025 IPL season.  

Pandey’s exclusion follows a series of high-profile exits from the Karnataka squad. Allrounder K. Gowtham has also been overlooked since the 2022-23 season, despite strong performances in club cricket and the Maharaja T20 Trophy.

Opener R. Samarth has shifted to Uttarakhand to play across formats after being limited to red-ball cricket in Karnataka due to the selectors’ preferences. Meanwhile, leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal, who had a stint with Kerala, has returned to the Karnataka team.  

The focus on youth has intensified, and even senior players like captain Mayank Agarwal are likely to face closer scrutiny from the selection committee if their performances don’t improve.  

"When we won the double treble, it was a young Karnataka team," said J. Abhiram, chair of the KSCA selection committee. "We’re relying on youth once again to achieve that success."

Karnataka squad:

KV Aneesh, Mayank Agarwal (c), Shreyas Gopal (vc), R Smaran, S Nikin Jose, KL Shrijith, Abhinav Manohar, Vyshak Vijaykumar,  Hardik Raj, Vidyadhar Patil, Vasuki Koushik, Vidyadhar Patil, Kishan Bedare, Manoj Bhandage,Abhilash Shetty, Pravin Dubey, Luvnith Sisodia