An aggressive middle-order batsman and an extremely agile fieldsman, Manish Pandey hails from Uttaranchal, but is well-known for the role he played in the Karnataka team at the domestic level. He has represented the state at the Under-17 and Under-19 level, and also played for India U-19s at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup held in Malaysia. His trademark half-sweep-half-flick shot towards midwicket was the most discussed topic during his junior days.

Pandey was a part of the Mumbai camp in the inaugural Indian T20 league, 2008. However, in 2009, he shot into national fame when he became the first Indian to hit a century in the Indian T20 league, playing for Bangalore. The Ranji season that followed saw him becoming the leading run-scorer of the tournament, with 882 runs at a staggering average of 63.00, and was instrumental in helping his team reach the finals of the Ranji Trophy. In the 2010 season, he represented Bangalore as an opening batsman. The following season, he was banned for the first four matches and later opted to represent Pune. After Pune was exiled from the league, Pandey was bought by Kolkata in 2014.