All posts tagged: Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar backs Hardik Pandya amid absence: ‘Don’t forget him’ | Cricket News

Sanjay Manjrekar backs Hardik Pandya amid absence: ‘Don’t forget him’ | Cricket News

Published by Webster

4 min readJun 24, 2026 10:03 AM IST As India embark on a twin tour of Ireland and England, one name hovers over the conversation – Hardik Pandya – who will not feature in either assignment, with his absence also extending to the Asian Games, as his international career appears to have taken a downward curve since India’s T20 World Cup triumph. However, former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has urged caution against writing him off, backing the all-rounder’s proven big-match pedigree and match-winning ability on the biggest stages. “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 stressed that Pandya’s impact in pressure situations remains a defining feature of India’s …

Sanjay Manjrekar on Virat Kohli

Sanjay Manjrekar on Virat Kohli

Published by Webster

2 min readJun 2, 2026 07:41 PM IST Royal Challengers Bengaluru talisman Virat Kohli continues to meet the demands of the modern T20 game. He altered his approach at the top of the order for RCB last season, holding the powerful batting together, and played a similar role once again this year. He scored 675 runs at an average of 165.84, and former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar lauded how Kohli improved his tempo while maintaining consistency. “At this stage, watching him in this tournament, he has mastered the art of T20 batting that is needed in IPL cricket. Which means now he knows that he has to score at a 150 to 160 strike rate. So he cashes in the first six overs. The most important thing is that he has found this power game, which is just about optimum. It’s almost like he is in third and fourth gear, while the others are trying to hit at a strike rate of 200 and 230,” Manjrekar said on his Instagram channel. “Because of that, there …

Former India batter warns RCB ahead of GT Qualifier 1 match

Former India batter warns RCB ahead of GT Qualifier 1 match

Published by Webster

2 min readUpdated: May 26, 2026 01:05 PM IST Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has raised an unusual warning for the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of their Qualifier 1 match against the Gujarat Titans at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday. According to Manjrekar, RCB could be in for some trouble if their star batter and senior opener Virat Kohli tends to shoulder excessive responsibility in high-pressure matches all by himself. While Kohli has been in top scoring form through another reason with his scoring rates up in the 160s, RCB are entering the Playoffs match on the back of a 55-run defeat to the SunRisers Hyderabad. There is also uncertainty looming over Kohli’s opening partner in the contest, with Jacob Bethell ruled out of the tournament and availability of fellow Englishman Phil Salt still hanging under a cloud. Manjrekar urged that RCB should be able to stick to the template where Kohli will not assume the anchor’s role with a sacrifice on the strike rate to play a longer innings. ALSO …

Why Sanjay Manjrekar feels Virat Kohli is ‘very sensitive to criticism’?

Why Sanjay Manjrekar feels Virat Kohli is ‘very sensitive to criticism’?

Published by Webster

3 min readMay 12, 2026 04:40 PM IST Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes Virat Kohli is extremely sensitive to criticism, claiming the star batter reads and hears everything said about him. Manjrekar shared incidents where he received a “cold” response from Kohli at the toss after making negative remarks about him. “Kohli is somebody who is also very sensitive to criticism. I think he gets to know what is being said about him because I have had an experience with him as a captain and as a player. Suddenly one day I would find him very cold at the toss or whatever, and I would think, perhaps he heard something that was said about him,” Manjrekar said on Sportstar’s Insight Edge Podcast. Manjrekar said that while Kohli claims not to care about what people say or think about him, the former India captain reacts to criticism or negativity through his performance on the field. “So he is one of those first guys who kept saying, ‘We don’t care about what people say and why.’ …

Manjrekar slams KL Rahul’s strike rate inconsistency

Manjrekar slams KL Rahul’s strike rate inconsistency

Published by Webster

2 min readMay 7, 2026 09:16 AM IST Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar minced no words as he slammed wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul following Delhi Capitals’ stinging defeat against the Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday night. After a series of poor outings, Delhi surprisingly opted to bat first on a slower pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium against CSK. Opening the batting, Rahul only mustered a run-a-ball start before falling midway through the Powerplay. Delhi’s batting progressively slumped as they could only set up a 156-run target for CSK. Led by a superb unbeaten 87 from Sanju Samson, CSK crushed DC by eight wickets, handing them their sixth loss of the season. Manjrekar put the blame of the defeat squarely on Rahul’s slow-knock and lamented his inconsistency with intent in the Powerplay. “It’s almost like odd and even games, where sometimes he goes after the bowling straightaway, which is the KL Rahul you want. But then he feels like he has earned the right, and he feels responsible for the rest of the batters to come, …

Ex-India batter suggests CSK opener to follow Virat Kohli’s footsteps

Ex-India batter suggests CSK opener to follow Virat Kohli’s footsteps

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: May 6, 2026 09:37 AM IST Sanju Samson has been the toast of Chennai Super Kings’ IPL 2026 season, with the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter emerging as the engine room chief behind four of the five wins thus far this season. With two centuries already in his first stint with the CSK, following a high-profile trade from the Rajasthan Royals last December, Samson cracked an unbeaten 87 in a match-winning effort against the Delhi Capitals on Tuesday night. While Samson has built from strength to strength since a miraculous comeback at the T20 World Cup. However, Samson has not silenced all doubts yet with former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar urging the 31-year-old to stress on his fitness. Manjrekar insisted that Samson must take a cue from former India captain Virat Kohli and improve on the fitness aspect to extend the purple patch that he is currently enjoying in the shortest format. Manjrekar extended the advice to India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav whose woes with the bat have sustained for an extended period now. ALSO …

How long before Shreyas Iyer’s exile ends? Clock ticking on India to bring him back as Suryakumar Yadav’s successor

How long before Shreyas Iyer’s exile ends? Clock ticking on India to bring him back as Suryakumar Yadav’s successor

Published by Parlour News

The year has started with plenty of news and entertainment for cricket fans, first with India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup 2026 and now the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. With a long summer of international cricket ahead, many national teams have begun their preparations, and performances in the IPL provide a global stage for players to push their case for national selection. Shreyas Iyer, left, and Suryakumar Yadav (AFP) Indian batter Shreyas Iyer has taken centre stage in the cricketing circle for a while now, with his future in India’s white-ball setup still up in the air. Iyer, who has played over 125 matches and scored more than 4,000 international runs for his country, was omitted from the T20I squad, with his last appearance against Australia in 2023. Since then, India has gone on to win back-to-back T20 WCs, with Iyer missing out on both, featuring in roughly 16 matches primarily in the ODI format. His exclusion followed his removal from the BCCI Central Contract list for limited involvement in domestic …

‘Like living in the past’: MI, CSK too emotionally connected to big names, says Sanjay Manjrekar | Cricket News

‘Like living in the past’: MI, CSK too emotionally connected to big names, says Sanjay Manjrekar | Cricket News

Published by Webster

2 min readApr 21, 2026 07:23 PM IST They may have won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 10 times between them but Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have both struggled to get going this season. Both teams have won two and lost four of the six games they have played thus far. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels that both teams are somewhat stuck in the past in terms of their reliance on older players. While CSK have shifted their policy towards fielding younger players this season, there still remains question marks over what role 44-year-old MS Dhoni will play when he returns. MI’s most consistent batter this season, meanwhile, has been their 38-year-old former captain Rohit Sharma while Suryakumar Yadav and current skipper Hardik Pandya have struggled. Even Jasprit Bumrah managed to get his first wicket of the season only on Monday night, six games into the season. “CSK and Mumbai Indians are slightly guilty of being emotionally connected and invested in the big-name, big-brand players a bit too much,” said Manjrekar on …

Why Sanjay Manjrekar feels India’s T20 World Cup wins ‘don’t come remotely close’ to their ODI World Cup triumphs | Cricket News

Why Sanjay Manjrekar feels India’s T20 World Cup wins ‘don’t come remotely close’ to their ODI World Cup triumphs | Cricket News

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Mar 10, 2026 10:09 PM IST Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar feels that the T20 World Cups won by India in 2007, 2024 and 2026 are dwarfed in front of their ODI title wins under Kapil Dev in 1983 and MS Dhoni in 2011. He also urged to put the T20 World Cup victories in proper perspective. “In time we need to put these world titles given out every year in proper perspective. India’s T20 WC wins don’t come remotely close to their 50 overs WC wins of 1983 under Kapil Dev & 2011 under Dhoni in terms of its pure challenge & it’s sanctity,” Manjrekar posted on X on Tuesday. In January, Manjrekar had said that the 50-over ODI World Cup was the real World Cup, adding that T20 version of the World Cup shouldn’t be given the same status. “For me the ‘Cricket World Cup’ will always be the 50 overs World Cup. The T20 version held every two years must not be given the same status of a World …

‘We now know what to do next’: Sanjay Manjrekar lists out 3 things India need to do ahead of T20 World Cup Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe | Cricket News

‘We now know what to do next’: Sanjay Manjrekar lists out 3 things India need to do ahead of T20 World Cup Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe | Cricket News

Published by Webster

3 min readFeb 23, 2026 04:56 PM IST Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said that India’s 76-run loss to South Africa in the Super 8 clash in Ahmedabad on Sunday has helped them identify areas to work on before the next game against Zimbabwe. The 60-year-old said that the co-hosts needed to send good batters of spin higher up the order and focus on getting better at playing the slower ball in the nets. “Thanks to SA we now know what Ind needs to do next. 1) Get batters with soft skills against spin to bat up the order. 2) Guy doing ‘throw downs’ to throw a a million slower balls at Ind batters,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday. Manjrekar also said that the loss to South Africa should make India contemplate bringing in Kuldeep Yadav into the playing XI to add an additional wicket-taking option in the side. “3) Kuldeep must play to have another wicket taking option,” he said. Thanks to SA we now know what Ind needs to do …