Manpreet Gony spent the last five years of his T20 league career playing for teams from the south. He was one of first finds of the inaugural season, playing for the Chennai Super Kings, and quickly rose to claim a berth in the India squad, only to fade away.
In his next assignment with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, Gony got few opportunities, but this year the medium pacer’s career graph is on the upswing. He was drafted into the India ‘A’ squad for the warm-up game against Australia.
Although he has played just two matches this season for his current franchise, Kings XI Punjab, Gony has shown that he is back in top form. Against the Pune Warriors, he initially had a tough time trying to contain the rampaging Aaron Finch, but he had the last laugh when Finch was caught at sweeper cover just when he looked to take the game away.
“It is nice to play in your home stadium. The crowd, the atmosphere, has been fantastic,” said Gony, who lives a stone’s throw away from the PCA Stadium.
Gony has been impressive for the Kings XI in two matches. Against defending champions Knight Riders, he used the long handle effectively to put the score beyond Kolkata’s reach. Later, he bowled a measly spell of 1 for 18 and claimed the important wicket of Gambhir, who looked set to take his team home.
In the loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gony was again impressive with the ball, taking 2 for 24. At the PCA Stadium, Gony has the advantage of knowing every square inch of the turf.
{{/usCountry}}In the loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gony was again impressive with the ball, taking 2 for 24. At the PCA Stadium, Gony has the advantage of knowing every square inch of the turf.
{{/usCountry}}