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 white-ball teams.
“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.
Turning to leadership changes, Manjrekar admitted surprise at Shreyas Iyer’s appointment as T20I captain for the Ireland tour but said the decision made sense in terms of role clarity within the XI.
“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 said in an interaction moderated by Sony Sports Network.
He also pointed to the IPL’s growing influence on national selection decisions.
“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 added.
Harsh on Jaiswal
On the ODI squad, Manjrekar felt Yashasvi Jaiswal’s omission was unfortunate given his recent run of scores, but acknowledged the depth of competition for top-order places.
“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.
Manjrekar also spoke about 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who could make his international debut on the upcoming tour after his performances for India A in Sri Lanka.
The youngster had also been involved in a physical altercation during the tri-series, but Manjrekar said the experience would aid his development and could help if opposition players sledge him on the upcoming tours.
“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,” he said.
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