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Who Is Manoj Bhandage? RCB's 'Surprising' Impact Player After Abrupt Collapse Vs PBKS

Akshita Patel

Manoj Bhandage used as impact player by RCB [Source: @RcbianOfficial/X.com]Manoj Bhandage used as impact player by RCB [Source: @RcbianOfficial/X.com]

Manoj Bhandage, a promising allrounder from Karnataka, was called in as an impact player by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025 season contest vs PBKS. Here’s a quick brief on the hyped talent.

RCB vs PBKS fixture was halted due to incessant rain in Bengaluru on April 18. At 9.45 pm, the game resumed with 14-overs per side. RCB were asked to bat first and the batters made a meal out of it.

Wickets kept falling like a house of cards as RCB were down to 41/6 in 7.4 overs. With no runs on the board, Bengaluru decided to bring Manoj Bhandage in as an impact player.

Who Is Manoj Bhandage? RCB's New All-Rounder

Born on October 5, 1998, in Karnataka, Manoj Bhandage was picked up by RCB for INR 30 Lakh at the IPL 2025 mega auction. He made his T20 debut for Karnataka in 2019 and his List A debut in 2022. 

In List A matches, he has scored 235 runs from 14 games at an average of 26.11 and a strike rate of 100.42, along with 10 wickets at an economy of 4.80. In T20s, he has 186 runs and 13 wickets from 24 matches, showcasing his dual skill set. 

A left-handed batter and right-arm medium-fast bowler, Bhandage is an aggressive hitter who plays in the lower-middle order and has the ability to chip in with crucial overs.

Meanwhile, Bhandage failed to impress against PBKS as he was dismissed by 1 off 4 balls by Marco Jansen. The batter tried to nudge a length ball into the leg-side but misread the movement. The ball straightened just enough after angling in, and struck him on the pad with his front leg up in the air.

Despite a hopeful review, UltraEdge showed no bat involved, and ball-tracking revealed it was just clipping the leg stump. With the on-field call being out, it stayed with the umpire's call. That tiny margin cost Bhandage dearly. He had to walk back for just 1 run, not the kind of impact RCB were hoping for from their lower-order allrounder.