Former India star Sanjay Manjrekar questions why Rohit Sharma's decision to opt out of the fifth Test against Australia was not thoroughly discussed at the toss, highlighting a larger issue with the secretive nature of Indian cricket. Despite stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah's statement about Sharma's rest being a show of unity, Manjrekar raises doubts about the legitimacy of the absence and the importance of transparency for fans.
After a dismal performance in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India's full-time captain, Rohit Sharma is benched for the fifth and final Test against Australia. With teammate Jasprit Bumrah taking over, Rohit becomes the first Indian captain to be benched in the middle of a series. While many, including former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, express little surprise over the decision, the decision to keep the reason behind the move "cloak and dagger" leaves fans questioning. Manjrekar himself takes to social media to give his take on the issue.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar and Sunil Gavaskar discuss Rishabh Pant's mode of dismissal in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy fourth Test against Australia. Manjrekar points out that the wicketkeeper-batter will be questioned if he continues to get out while attempting unconventional shots. Gavaskar lambasts Pant, labeling his dismissal as 'stupid' and criticizing his shot selection. Despite Pant's early dismissal, India managed to cross the 300-run mark on Day 3 thanks to a seventh-wicket partnership between Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar. Follow Sportskeeda's live updates for the latest news and biddings at the IPL Auction 2025.
After Virat Kohli's dismissal on yet another offside-off delivery, the question of who India's batting coach is has been brought up by former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar. The Indian batters, still struggling since the nightmare of Adelaide, faced the heat of Mitchell Starc's fierce pace attack yet again in the ongoing Test series in Australia. Starc's impressive scalps included Indian youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, making it clear that Australia's bowling strategy has been well-researched and executed.
Indian opening batsman KL Rahul was dismissed in a controversial manner on day 1 of the first Test between India and Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series. The former cricketers Matthew Hayden and Sanjay Manjrekar have pointed out a major flaw in the snicko meter, which may have led to the controversial decision. India ended their innings on 150 while Australia are struggling at 67 for 7 at the end of Day 1.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar took to social media to express his confusion over India's batting decisions in the ongoing third Test against New Zealand. After Sarfaraz Khan, who has been in good form, was demoted to the eighth position in the batting order, Manjrekar criticized the decision made by skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir. Sarfaraz's previous performances at the Wankhede Stadium, where he has scored 601 runs in 6 innings, make the decision even more puzzling.
Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington Sundar makes a strong comeback to Test cricket after a hiatus since March 2021, by taking 7 wickets on Day 1 of the India vs New Zealand second Test. While some questioned his selection, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar defended it, saying that Sundar's fast and accurate bowling style is just what India needed on an abrasive pitch. However, Manjrekar also clarified that it is too early to consider Sundar as the successor of veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has been struggling in the series. Manjrekar believes that Ashwin still has a lot to offer for Indian cricket in the future.
Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar defended Rohit Sharma's decision to leave out spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the second Test against New Zealand. He supported the inclusion of in-form seamer Akash Deep and spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar in the playing eleven for the crucial match, stating that Kuldeep's artistry would not be needed on a pitch offering a lot of assistance to the bowlers. However, former Indian great Sunil Gavaskar expressed disappointment with Kuldeep's exclusion and viewed the addition of Washington as a panicked move. The Indian team, led by Sharma, will have to win this Test to maintain their unbeaten home record in the last 12 years and stay in the race for a spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) finals.
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has likened the batting style of India's rising star Sarfaraz Khan to that of legendary Pakistani batsman Javed Miandad. Manjrekar was impressed with how Sarfaraz handled the opposition's pace attack and his confident stroke play. He also noted Sarfaraz's defensive approach towards the end of Day 3, highlighting the youngster's composure and versatility in his batting. Manjrekar believes this bodes well for both India and Sarfaraz's upcoming tour of Australia.
Sarfaraz Khan's comeback to the Indian cricket team was nothing short of spectacular as he scored a quickfire 70 off 78 balls against New Zealand in the second innings of the first Test in Bengaluru. His performance earned praise from former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, who even compared Sarfaraz to the legendary Javed Miandad. He was impressed with Sarfaraz's batting against both spin and pace, and praised his determination to remain unbeaten at Stumps on Day 3 of the match.