Manjrekar urged caution against writing Pandya off, emphasizing his proven track record in press situations.
Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar threw his weight behind Hardik Pandya despite the all-rounder’s absence from India's tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games.
Manjrekar urged caution against writing Pandya off, emphasizing his proven track record of delivering impactful performances in press situations.
“I am a huge admirer of Hardik Pandya’s ability. And if you want to see the real Hardik Pandya, then you just have to remember all the big games that he has played, especially World Cups and see his contribution. And even the IPL, the final rounds, the playoffs. Obviously, the selectors want him to be physically fit, ready and play more cricket,” Manjrekar said in an interaction moderated by Sony Sports Network.
“He missed the last few games in the IPL. But I hope they don’t completely forget about him because this is a big match player, a player with tremendous ability. If he gets a relief from the captaincy, as a player, he might go back to the heights that he had achieved,” he added.
Manjrekar admitted that he was initially surprised at the decision to replace out-of-form Suryakumar Yadav with Shreyas Iyer as India’s T20I captain.
“Yes, I was surprised. I am trying to understand why that choice was made. Shubman Gill is another player with leadership pedigree. He has captained India as well and had a very good IPL. But he is an opener in T20 cricket. Where do you fit Shubman Gill? Shreyas Iyer bats in the middle order, so there is space there. Suryakumar Yadav is the captain, so perhaps they felt there is a defined role for Shreyas in the side. His leadership has been impressive,” Manjrekar stated.
Manjrekar pointed to the massive impact of the IPL on national selection, highlighting Iyer's strong batting and his ability to successfully lead franchises.
“I think whatever happens in the IPL has a tremendous impact on everything – whether it is 50-over cricket, leadership or T20 cricket. So, Shreyas Iyer’s appointment has a lot to do with his IPL performances. Although I will say that last IPL, he was actually in better batting form than this season. I think it will be a little challenging, only because he was out of the India T20I squad. He deserved to come back. Last season he should have been picked after the phenomenal IPL he had, both as a batter and as a captain,” he explained.
Commenting on the ODI squad for England tour, Manjrekar felt Yashasvi Jaiswal’s snub was unfortunate considering his recent prolific run, but acknowledged the fierce competition for top-order spots.
“Anybody who gets an opportunity has to make it count. That is exactly what Yashasvi has done. So yes, it is unfortunate. Yes, it is a bit harsh on him. Sai Sudharsan has also done well. Ishan Kishan has a double hundred in ODI cricket. There are a lot of quality players competing for those spots. He’s actually got two hundreds in his last three ODI innings. There was a 116 not out, after which he didn’t play for a long time. Then he scored four in the next ODI and now another hundred,” he said.
The former cricketer-turned-commentator also backed 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Referring to the teenager’s recent physical altercation during India A’s Tri-series in Sri Lanka, Manjrekar said: “I think he has learnt his lesson. He will know what to do, so that is not a problem. He had first-hand experience in Sri Lanka and handled that pretty well because he seems to be a very mature guy.”