Sanjay Manjrekar, the former Indian cricketer and now a renowned commentator, announced his 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The selection has sparked a significant amount of debate and controversy due to the exclusion of some prominent players, most notably Virat Kohli.
Sanjay Manjrekar leaves out Virat Kohli
Manjrekar’s decision to leave out Virat Kohli, one of the most successful batsmen in the history of Indian cricket, has been met with surprise and criticism. Kohli, who is currently the Orange Cap holder, has been in good form, scoring 430 runs in 9 matches with a strike rate of 145.76 at an average of 61.43. Despite these impressive statistics, Manjrekar chose to omit him from the squad.
However, his recent knock against SRH came under the scanner, where he scored 32 runs from the first 18 deliveries with 4 boundaries and a six, only to score just 19 runs from the next 25 balls. He also scored the joint-slowest hundred in IPL history from 67 balls against RR this season.
In place of Kohli, Manjrekar has chosen Sanju Samson for the No. 3 position. This decision indicates Manjrekar’s confidence in Samson’s abilities and his potential to perform well in the high-pressure environment of the World Cup.
Another notable exclusion from Manjrekar’s squad is Hardik Pandya. Despite being a versatile player with the ability to contribute both with the bat and the ball, Pandya’s recent form has been a concern. He has scored only 151 runs in 8 matches for his team at an average of 21.57.
Interestingly, Manjrekar has included Krunal Pandya, Hardik’s brother, in the squad. Krunal, an all-rounder like his brother, has been picked as a back-up for Ravindra Jadeja.
REVEALED: @sanjaymanjrekar's Fab 15 squad for the #T20WorldCup2024! 😲
A few interesting names get his nod for the #VisaToWorldCup, but 1 MAJOR name misses out! Do you agree with his choices for #T20WorldCupOnStar?
Participate in the biggest opinion poll ever on our social… pic.twitter.com/nvHABDyLzi
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 26, 2024
Sanjay Manjrekar’s Indian squad for T20 World Cup
Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav, Krunal Pandya.
Manjrekar’s squad has been criticized for having nine potential bowlers and only six pure batters. This imbalance could potentially affect the team’s performance in the tournament.
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