New kid on the block Manish Pandey, who became the first Indian to hit a century in the just-concluded Indian Premier League in South Africa, says he is indebted to Rahul Dravid for motivating him.
"I always look up to him as a cricketer. [Rahul] Dravid sir is a legend and he really motivated me on and off the field... I'm really indebted to him.
"I was really fortunate to bat with him [Dravid] in the semi-final against Chennai Super Kings. I grew up watching him and Sachin Tendulkar, so I really feel lucky to have played with them," Pandey said on his return from South Africa.
The Karnataka batsman went into the record books, hitting the highest T20 score (114 not out) by an Indian. His match-winning knock guided Royal Challengers Bangalore past Deccan Chargers to the IPL semi-finals.
He also scored a crucial 48 to help his side beat favourites Chennai Super Kings in the semi-finals, the knock earning him praise from opposing skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
"He personally congratulated me... It feels great to be praised by the Team India skipper. He is an amazing captain and carries himself so well on the field," Pandey said.
The 19-year-old described his outstanding success as the defining moment of his career and credited it to his fearless attitude.
"Twenty20 cricket is all about hitting the ball over the boundary... It does not really matter who the bowler is... I just like to play with aggression," he said.
"I am more confident now. IPL is a big stage and the performance will surely help me go further. It's probably a turning point in my cricketing career," added Pandey, who bagged back-to-back Man-of-the-Match awards and helped Royal Challengers Bangalore seal a final berth in the high-profile event.
Eyeing the Champions League T20 in October, he said, "I hope to carry on with my confidence and come up with a good show in the opening edition of the tournament. Then, there is domestic season."
The T20 specialist, however, said he is not afraid of the longer version of the game.
"The longer version of cricket tests your cricketing ability. You got be very patient and I am looking forward to prove myself in the upcoming domestic season," the youngster added.
Obviously, after the 'big' performance, Pandey, son of an Army colonel, has dropped the idea of joining the defence forces which he had thought about as an alternate career.
"I hope I can do it big [in cricket] now... My dad has been my biggest support and everybody -- my mom and younger sister -- in my family backs me," said Pandey.
At nine years, Pandey, on his father's insistence, picked a cricket bat after joining Syed Kirmani's coaching academy in Bangalore.
His father's call of duty took him all over India, including Rajasthan (Suratgarh) and Maharashtra (Nashik), before returning to Bangalore five years ago.
He then got picked for the Karnataka Under-17 side after three hundreds in a tournament. He was later picked for the Under-19 India side that won the World Cup in 2008.
Now, the rest, as they say, is history!
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