Cricket

Virat Kohli's Return as RCB Captain: A Critical AnalysisAs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) prepares for the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction, the question of who will lead the franchise has become a topic of intense speculation. While Virat Kohli's name has been prominently mentioned, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has raised concerns about the wisdom of such a move.Manjrekar argues that fans should set aside their admiration for Kohli and objectively assess his recent performances. He points out that Kohli's T20 batting has declined in recent years, and his captaincy record with RCB has been mixed."Just because he is Virat Kohli, 95% of fans want him to be the captain," said Manjrekar. "But if you just go by his performances, it is not that impressive."Manjrekar suggests that RCB fans consider the possibility of a different captain, someone who may be better suited to the demands of T20 cricket. He emphasizes that Kohli's past achievements should not overshadow the need for a critical evaluation."I just have one question from the fans," Manjrekar added. "If instead of Virat Kohli, there was someone else, you just remove Virat Kohli from your mind, and just look at his performance in the IPL, his batting and captaincy performance. Then you think whether it is the right decision to make him the captain."Kohli led RCB from 2013 to 2021, guiding the team to one IPL final in 2016. However, his batting form suffered a significant dip between 2020 and 2022. In the last two seasons, he has regained some of his old form, scoring over 600 runs and winning the Orange Cap in 2024.Despite his recent resurgence, Manjrekar believes that Kohli's overall T20 record does not warrant an automatic return to the captaincy. He suggests that RCB should explore other options, including younger players who may be better equipped to handle the challenges of modern T20 cricket.

Mohammed Shami's absence from India's squad for the upcoming Australia tour has raised concerns among experts, with former batter Sanjay Manjrekar expressing doubts about the team's bowling strength.Shami, who has been struggling with a foot injury and Achilles tendon surgery, was not included in the squad, leaving a void in India's pace attack. In his place, youngsters Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana have been called up to join Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep.Manjrekar believes that Shami's absence will be a significant blow to India's chances of success in Australia. "This seam attack, which we are so proud of and have won so many matches on its performances, seems to have a problem," he said. "Bumrah's form has been terrific, but Siraj's form has dipped and there is no Shami. I am sure Australia won't be too nervous seeing this Indian seam attack."Manjrekar also pointed out that the inexperience of Krishna and Rana could be a factor. "Prasidh Krishna can make a surprise cut in the XI for India Down Under," he said. "But Siraj has underperformed. On the last tour, Siraj was at his peak. Yash Dayal came under the radar of Indian selectors but he has now disappeared completely, so that is surprising to me."India will be aiming for a hat-trick of series wins in Australia, having triumphed on the 2020-21 and 2022-23 tours. However, the absence of Shami and the concerns over Siraj's form could make their task more difficult.

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed concern over captain Rohit Sharma's defensive technique, particularly in the ongoing second Test against New Zealand. Rohit's nine-ball duck in the first innings, dismissed by Tim Southee, has raised questions about his approach while defending.Manjrekar highlighted Rohit's struggles against Southee, who has now dismissed him 14 times in international cricket, the joint-most by any bowler. He pointed out that Rohit's loose defense, which was a concern at the start of his international career, has resurfaced."He would not take a step forward and he would react just with the bat, that is starting to happen," Manjrekar said. "He was able to leave balls outside the off stump, but they have worked out a way to bowl to Rohit Sharma."Manjrekar believes that Rohit's vulnerability stems from his tendency to react with the bat rather than using his pad to defend. "That makes him a little vulnerable when there is a little bit in the pitch and the ball is hard," he said.However, Manjrekar praised Rohit's temperament and suggested that he needs to tighten up his defense. "He just maybe has to tighten up his defense a little more and things should be okay," he added.Rohit's dismissal in the first innings has put pressure on the Indian captain, who has been under scrutiny for his recent form. He will be looking to bounce back in the second innings and prove that he can overcome his defensive deficiencies.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has criticized skipper Rohit Sharma's tactical decisions following India's first Test defeat to New Zealand in Bengaluru. Rohit faced significant backlash for his captaincy, particularly after New Zealand managed to add 137 crucial runs for the eighth wicket in their first innings. The criticism continued on Day 5 of the match.With New Zealand needing 107 runs to win, Rohit opted to bring on Ravichandran Ashwin, India's most successful bowler at home, only after 10 runs had been scored. Instead, he utilized Mohammed Siraj, who remained wicketless across two spells totaling seven overs, yielding no results."The thing with pacers, you might get wickets, but there are always runs coming through edges. I was a bit surprised, I think tactically for Rohit Sharma, this Test match wasn't his greatest. I can understand Siraj getting one or two overs and Bumrah getting a long spell. But Siraj getting 6 overs in that forespell, I think that is far too many and already a lot of runs on the board, and you had that little margin to chase," Manjrekar said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo."And another part is Aswhin. When there is no lavish turn on the pitch, the captain tends to use him with a new ball. He would have been tough for the Kiwi batters had he started off with Bumrah, and even if he had come in the fourth over of the inning," he added.Manjrekar highlighted India's significant tactical errors on the final day. This victory marked New Zealand's first Test win in India since 1988 and only their third overall.Despite the unexpected eight-wicket loss, Rohit Sharma praised his team's resilience, particularly their fightback in the second innings. Trailing by a substantial 356 runs after the first innings, India showed remarkable determination, scoring 462 to set a target of 107 for New Zealand."It was a good effort with the bat in the second innings. We didn't bat well in the first innings. So knew what was ahead and couple of guys stood out. When you are 350 behind you can't think too much about it. just got to see the ball and bat. Couple of partnerships were really exciting to watch and got us back in the game. We could have easily been bowled out cheaply but proud of the effort," Rohit said at the post-match presentation.To maintain their impressive home Test series winning streak of 18, India must avoid defeat in the upcoming two Tests. The second Test between India and New Zealand is set to begin in Pune on October 24.

Virat Kohli's struggles in Test cricket continued in 2024, as he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings against New Zealand. Despite his poor form, Kohli's decision to promote himself to No. 3 in the batting order due to Shubman Gill's absence drew praise from former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar.Manjrekar hailed Kohli's willingness to sacrifice his usual No. 4 slot, claiming that it set him apart from legendary players like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. According to Manjrekar, Tendulkar and Ganguly were reluctant to move up the order in Tests, unlike Kohli."Hats off to Virat Kohli!" Manjrekar posted on social media. "Coming out to bat at no. 3 because the team needed it. Ganguly, Tendulkar were very keen to open in white ball cricket, but never wanted to go up the order in Tests. That's a true champion right there for you!"However, Manjrekar also criticized Kohli's aggressive approach from the first ball, which he believes has contributed to his recent struggles."Have said this before will say it again," Manjrekar tweeted. "Virat has compounded his problems by wanting to be on the front foot to every ball. No matter the length. Today's dismissal ball could have been comfortably tackled off the back foot."Manjrekar's comments sparked a debate about the batting positions of Tendulkar and Ganguly. While Tendulkar primarily batted at No. 4 in Tests, Ganguly had a significant number of innings at No. 3 earlier in his career.Tendulkar scored the vast majority of his Test runs at No. 4, with only 15 runs coming from the top three positions. Ganguly, on the other hand, scored 752 of his 7,212 Test runs at No. 3, while only 11 runs came as an opener.Ultimately, the decision of whether to move up the order in Tests is a personal one for each player. While some, like Kohli, are willing to sacrifice their preferred position for the benefit of the team, others may prefer to stay in their comfort zone.

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has lauded captain Harmanpreet Kaur and the women's team for their valiant effort against Australia in their T20 World Cup 2024 match in Sharjah on Sunday. Despite a heartbreaking loss, Manjrekar praised the team's determination and Harmanpreet's leadership.The Indian women's team fell short by 14 runs in their pursuit of Australia's 150-run target, with Harmanpreet scoring an unbeaten 54 off 47 balls. Manjrekar believes that no other team could have come as close to the target on a challenging pitch."No other team other than India would have come so close to the big target Aus set on a difficult pitch. I say, well done India! And again what a star Harman is!" Manjrekar tweeted.However, fans expressed frustration with Manjrekar's comments, calling them an "excuse" for the team's failure to win. They argued that the team should be held accountable for their performance, regardless of the pitch conditions.Manjrekar defended his stance, stating that Harmanpreet's unbeaten knock showcased her caliber. "Harmanpreet Kaur showed in the end why she is so great. She almost won the match. The pitch was very tricky, the score was almost like chasing 250, and they reached so close. It's a matter of great pride for me," he said on Star Sports.He also praised the team's overall performance, highlighting their ability to score runs without Smriti Mandhana's contribution and their effective bowling."The Indian team touched new heights today. This was a very important match... the batters kept scoring without Mandhana's contribution, and the bowling was good," he added.Manjrekar believes that the team's performance against Australia is a testament to their progress and potential. "They set an excellent score on the tough pitch in Sharjah. They set 150 where the average score is around 115. India almost won this match. So they reached close to Mount Everest, they reached the third or fourth base," he explained.Despite the loss, Manjrekar remains optimistic about the team's future. He believes that they have the talent and determination to achieve success in the future.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Past Their Prime for Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Says Sanjay ManjrekarFormer Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed concerns about the form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia. Manjrekar believes that both players are past their prime in Test cricket and that India will need other players to step up in their absence."Virat and Rohit, both are not in their prime, they are not at the peak of their powers to be fair," Manjrekar said on SportifyWithPRG. "Others like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubhman Gill have to rise to the occasion."Kohli and Sharma have both struggled for form in recent Test matches. Kohli managed just 99 runs in four innings in the recent two-match series against Bangladesh, while Sharma scored only 42 runs in two innings.Manjrekar also praised India's bowling attack, but expressed concerns about Australia's current form."India is sorted... As for the Australians, the aura and ability they had in the past, where every game they played, they were like champions, is not there anymore," Manjrekar said.The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin on November 22 in Perth. India has won the last four series against Australia, including two victories in Australia.

India's hard-fought victory over Pakistan in the Women's T20 World Cup on Sunday brought relief, but former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar expressed disappointment over the team's slow run-chase.Chasing Pakistan's modest total of 105 for 8, India took 18.5 overs to complete the six-wicket win, resulting in a net run rate (NRR) of -1.217. Pakistan, with an NRR of +0.555, remains ahead of India in Group A.Manjrekar believes India could have been more aggressive in their pursuit of runs. "Winning is very important, but I am a little disappointed because New Zealand's run-rate is +2.900, and that's the team India need to catch up with," he said.Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was the only Indian batter to strike at a rate above 100.00, scoring 29 off 24 balls before retiring hurt with a neck injury. Opener Shafali Verma top-scored with 32 off 35 balls, while Jemimah Rodrigues contributed 23 off 28 balls."India did win, but inside Harmanpreet will be feeling that they should have scored a little more briskly and won in a quicker time. It would have benefitted in the long run," Manjrekar analyzed.Opener Smriti Mandhana acknowledged that India's start with the bat could have been better. "We could have done with a better start with the bat," said Mandhana, who scored only 7. "But we will take this. We were thinking about it (NRR) but Shafali and I weren't able to time it (the shots) well."Regarding Harmanpreet's injury, Mandhana said, "Too soon to say anything, the medics are looking at it. Hopefully she is alright."India's victory provides momentum, but the team must improve its run-rate to challenge New Zealand and Australia, who currently top Group A.

Sanjay Manjrekar's Controversial Remark Sparks OutrageFormer Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has ignited a firestorm of controversy with his recent comment during live commentary on the India vs New Zealand Women's T20 World Cup match. While discussing the Indian women's cricket team's coaching unit, Manjrekar admitted that he lacks in-depth knowledge about players from North India."Sorry, I could not recognize him. North ke players ki taraf mera zyada dhyaan nahi hota (I don't pay much attention to the players from North India)," Manjrekar said on-air.The comment has drawn widespread condemnation on social media, with many accusing Manjrekar of bias and discrimination. Social media users have expressed outrage, calling for Manjrekar to be banned from commentary."I've no interest in North Indian Cricketers," one user tweeted. "Why so much hate?"Another user wrote, "I don't have interest in North Indian cricketers. Sanjay Manjrekar @ICC @BCCI how can you allow such a racist person in the commentary panel? Put a ban on him."The controversy has also raised questions about the representation of North Indian players in Indian cricket. Some have argued that Manjrekar's comment reflects a larger issue of regionalism and bias within the sport."Mumbai Lobby is a real thing!!" one user tweeted. "Sanjay Manjrekar said, 'I don't pay much attention to players from the North.'"In response to the backlash, Manjrekar has apologized for his remarks. However, the damage has been done, and the controversy is likely to continue.