Latest news with #SanjayManjrekar
Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Sanjay Manjrekar expresses displeasure over Sarfaraz Khan being excluded from India's squad for England series
The Indian squad for the anticipated England test series has been announced, and the choices of the selectors have created quite the stir among fans and critics alike. The exclusion of in-form players like Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan has raised questions around the selection process led by the current chairman of the BCCI selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, and head coach, Gautam Gambhir. Previously, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from the longest format of the sport, raising eyebrows in the cricketing stratosphere. Rohit Sharma's retirement meant a new captain would be selected, and 25-year-old Shubman Gill turned out to be the successor amidst a pool of Test format veterans like Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja. This initiated the start of a new era in the Indian Test cricket team.. Sanjay Manjrekar weighed in on the Sarfaraz's exclusion at a time when a new era is set to begin in Tests for India 'I see a tendency in this management to pre-empt performances', says cricket analyst Sanjay Manjrekar Former cricketer and popular cricket analyst, Sanjay Manjrekar, criticised the Indian cricket team management over the exclusion of in-form players. He felt that the absence of leaders like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli has made the management 'pre-empt performances of individuals while making selections'. Middle order batsman Sarfaraz Khan has lost 10 kg before England tour. "Under Gautam Gambhir's stewardship and with Rohit not there anymore, I see a tendency in this management to pre-empt performances of individuals while making selections," Sanjay Manjrekar told The Hindustan Times. He further added, "As in, the dominating thought here is to apply their own view of the likely success and failure of players depending on conditions and opposition,". There were also questions over Karun Nair's selection instead of Sarfaraz Khan. Manjrekar added, 'It's about someone important in the leadership group thinking Sarfaraz will not get runs in England and Australia, and Karun Nair will." Indian batter Sarfaraz Khan had played in six Test matches for India. The 27-year-old has scored 371 runs averaging at 37.10 runs per innings. He has three fifties and one century under his name. Karun Nair has also played six Test matches, and scored 374 runs in total. Most of his runs came from a single match, where the 33-year-old batter scored 303 runs against England at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai back in 2016. Apart from that, he had struggled to put runs on the board, having no fifties under his name in the rest of the matches. Fans express disappointment over Shreyas Iyer's exclusion Similarly, fans shared their disappointment over the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer, who had been consistently putting in good performances for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He is one of the highest scorers of the tournament, having 514 runs under his name. He has scored five fifties in 14 IPL matches, averaging at 51.40. In Tests, he has played in 14 matches, scoring 814 runs. He has averaged at 36.86 runs per innings, with one century and five fifties under his name. The Punjab Kings' captain has been explosive in IPL 2025 and a reliable player in Test format, raising questions regarding his exclusion from the India-England Test series. Sai Sudarshan selected based on IPL Karun Nair selected based on Domestic:- Shreyas Iyer performed in both but Dropped by The BCCI, Ajit Agarkar & Gautam Gambhir?? Indian cricket fans shared their thoughts all over social media on how the BCCI selection committee and Gautam Gambhir have made questionable decisions. One fan posted on X, 'Successful IPL captain, great stats across international formats, as well as domestic.', in regards to the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer from the Indian squad. Does Shreyas deserve to be in the test team??Successful IPL captain, great stats across international formats, as well as domestic. 🔥#IPL #ShreyasIyer #PBKS Shreyas Iyer delivers in Ranji. Stays fit. Shows hunger. Still, no place in the Test performance isn't enough, what more does a player need to do?Is it really about form, or is the politics playing its dirty game again?Gautam Gambhir's growing influence as… With criticisms showering upon the squad selection process, it will be intriguing to see if the Shubman Gill-led Indian team manages to win the Test series against England.
India Gazette
25-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
"PBKS bowling attack leaves them a bit vulnerable...": Manjrekar
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 25 (ANI): Following Punjab Kings (PBKS) loss to Delhi Capitals (DC), former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said that the bowling attack of the second-place holders leaves them 'a bit vulnerable'. PBKS' finish in the final two is under jeopardy, as after their loss to DC by six wickets, they are just left with one game, and so are Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who could displace them from the top two. PBKS' final league game is with an in-form Mumbai Indians (MI) while RCB will be facing Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). PBKS' bowling attack did not feature lead spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and also did not bowl Marco Jansen with the new ball and in death overs, instead using Azmatullah Omarzai and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis while defending 207. 'I think Punjab Kings' bowling attack leaves them a bit vulnerable. But if they can sort out their bowling a little, things could improve. I am not sure why Chahal didn't play. In the end, when they could not defend 200, it was not about bowling poorly -- it just looked like they lacked the ability. Stoinis, despite his best efforts, was never going to defend 8 or 10 runs in the final over. The same applies to Omarzai in these conditions,' said Manjrekar, a JioStar expert, on 'Match Centre Live' on JioHotstar. On the team that will be the first to seal their top two spot, Manjrekar said it could be GT, who have won nine out of their 13 games so far and lost just four, including their most recent game to LSG. They are taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday. 'I think Gujarat Titans might be the first team to secure a top-two spot. They have only dropped one game, which could be just what they need to recharge and come back stronger in the next match,' he concluded. (ANI)
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
PBKS bowling attack leaves them a bit vulnerable...: Sanjay Manjrekar
PBKS' finish in the final two is under jeopardy, as after their loss to DC by six wickets, they are just left with one game, and so are Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who could displace them from the top two. PBKS' final league game is with an in-form Mumbai Indians (MI) while RCB will be facing Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Following Punjab Kings (PBKS) loss to Delhi Capitals (DC), former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said that the bowling attack of the second-place holders leaves them "a bit vulnerable".PBKS' finish in the final two is under jeopardy, as after their loss to DC by six wickets, they are just left with one game, and so are Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who could displace them from the top two. PBKS' final league game is with an in-form Mumbai Indians (MI) while RCB will be facing Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).PBKS' bowling attack did not feature lead spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and also did not bowl Marco Jansen with the new ball and in death overs, instead using Azmatullah Omarzai and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis while defending 207."I think Punjab Kings' bowling attack leaves them a bit vulnerable. But if they can sort out their bowling a little, things could improve. I am not sure why Chahal didn't play. In the end, when they could not defend 200, it was not about bowling poorly -- it just looked like they lacked the ability. Stoinis, despite his best efforts, was never going to defend 8 or 10 runs in the final over. The same applies to Omarzai in these conditions," said Manjrekar, a JioStar expert, on 'Match Centre Live' on the team that will be the first to seal their top two spot, Manjrekar said it could be GT, who have won nine out of their 13 games so far and lost just four, including their most recent game to LSG. They are taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday."I think Gujarat Titans might be the first team to secure a top-two spot. They have only dropped one game, which could be just what they need to recharge and come back stronger in the next match," he concluded.
NDTV
19-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Rohit Sharma Namedropped In Support For Jasprit Bumrah As Test Captain: "Why Are We..."
The debate surrounding India's next Test captain is heating up, especially with a five-Test series against England approaching hard and fast. Rohit Sharma 's Test retirement has opened the door for a new captain who can take the team forward heading into the next World Test Championship (WTC) points table. Shubman Gill is currently leading the race ahead of pacer Jasprit Bumrah, as per multiple reports. However, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels Gill isn't the right option considering the presence of Bumrah. Bumrah's fitness issues is a major factor behind Gill's likely elevation. Bumrah has had a long history of injuries, most recently during the fifth and final Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year. However, Manjrekar feels Bumrah should be in charge of the team regardless of how many games he plays in England. "Has Bumrah said he won't captain India? Or has he ruled himself out of the England series? Then why are we discussing who will captain India?" Manjrekar wrote. Has Bumrah said he won't captain India? Or has he ruled himself out of the England series? Then why are we discussing who will captain India? — Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) May 18, 2025 "If Bumrah's availability because of injuries is the issue, didn't we have Rohit captain India in just 3 off the 5 Tests in Aus recently? Availability can't be the be all & end all, deservability far more important. Especially in Tests," he added in another post. If Bumrah's availability because of injuries is the issue, didn't we have Rohit captain India in just 3 off the 5 Tests in Aus recently? Availability can't be the be all & end all, deservability far more important. Especially in Tests. — Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) May 18, 2025 India's next assignment is a five-match series against England, starting June 20 at Leeds. On the contorary, former India coach Ravi Shastri says Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are ideal candidates to captain India in the Test format, given that they have age on their side and already have the experience of leading IPL sides. Shastri also feels that Jasprit Bumrah would have been an obvious choice for the leadership role in the traditional format but for his fitness issues, the pacer should be protected from the additional burden. "See for me, Jasprit would have been the obvious choice after Australia. But I don't want Jasprit to be made captain and then you lose him as a bowler," Shastri said on the latest episode of the ICC Review with Bumrah's wife Sanjana Ganesan.
News18
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
'Something Special': Manjrekar Lauds 'Beautiful Gesture' By Fans For Virat Kohli
Last Updated: Fans in white jerseys honored Virat Kohli at the RCB-KKR IPL match, celebrating his Test career. Sanjay Manjrekar praised the gesture. The match was abandoned due to rain. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar lauded the heartwarming tribute by fans during the IPL match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders, where the fans came together to honour Virat Kohli following his retirement from Test cricket. The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru transformed into a breathtaking sea of white on Saturday evening, as fans donned white jerseys emblazoned with the iconic No. 18 to pay a stirring tribute to Kohli's legendary Test career. The heartfelt gesture began as a humble fan campaign—a simple social media post urging Royal Challengers Bengaluru supporters to wear white Virat Kohli jerseys to the RCB vs KKR clash, in honour of his recent retirement from Test cricket. What started as a small idea quickly turned into a powerful movement, as fans united to celebrate the legacy of a player who gave his all to the red-ball game. 'The love that the fans have for Virat Kohli, it's something special. This was an IPL night match, and fans came dressed in whites to commemorate a moment in Indian cricket history. That's a beautiful gesture. For five years, he made Test cricket watchable and more popular. We often say no player is bigger than the game, but during a time when Test cricket was struggling to engage fans, Virat gave it the attention it desperately needed," Manjrekar said on JioHotstar. 'He's still playing in the IPL, but he always had the desire to keep Test cricket alive. As a captain, I've never seen an Indian Test skipper who managed to keep the intensity so high, even when the team wasn't doing well or when things were drifting. That's a legacy in itself," he added. Saturday's match, which marked the resumption of IPL 2025 after a week-long break, was Virat Kohli's first appearance since announcing his retirement from Test cricket via a social media post. However, the match was abandoned, without a ball being bowled, due to persistent rain. Both teams were awarded one point each, and with this RCB move atop the points table with 17 points from 12 games and closer to a confimred berth in the playoffs while KKR with 12 points from 13 games have been knocked out of Playoff contention. First Published: May 18, 2025, 14:00 IST
