The Gautam Gambhir-era in Indian cricket started on Saturday with the side taking on Sri Lanka in the first of a three-T20I series. From the time, Gambhir took over as the Indian cricket team coach, anticipation has been building over his tenure. As the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders, Gambhir guided the team to the IPL 2023 title. Earlier, he guided Lucknow Super Giants to two straight IPL playoffs. 

With the Indian cricket team beginning a crucial stage, where seniors like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja have retired from T20Is, all eye will be on Gambhir. However, former Indian cricket team player Sanjay Manjrekar wrote on X, that it’s never about who the coach is.  

“No coach, Lalchand Rajput, Gary Kirsten & Dravid. Coaches when India won WCs in 1983, 2007, 2011 & 2023. It’s really about Indian cricket, not who the coach is. Time we stop thinking there is a direct correlation,” Sanjay Manjrekar wrote in a post on X.

No coach, Lalchand Rajput, Gary Kirsten & Dravid. Coaches when India won WCs in 1983, 2007, 2011 & 2023.

It’s really about Indian cricket, not who the coach is. Time we stop thinking there is a direct correlation.

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) July 27, 2024

Though it was a general observation, internet users though it as an attack on Gambhir. 

Lafda Time With Gambhir Manjrekar vs Everyone Seems

— Sagar Mhatre (@MhatreGang) July 27, 2024

Why are you salty of gambhir now?

— vir (@minimalkohli) July 27, 2024

What are you trying to say ? Keep clarity in your statements . It’s just a start for @GautamGambhir . Let him do his job.

— Dipanjan Chatterjee (@I_am_DipCh) July 27, 2024

Manjrekar takes on Gambhir. Game on

— David (@DavidVj007) July 27, 2024

India first won the ODI World Cup in 1983 when the team didn’t really have a designated head coach. Then came an incredibly successful stint in 2007, and 2011 where MS Dhoni led the team, though the coaches were different on both occasions. 

Under Dravid’s mentorship, India lifted the T20 World Cup 2024 title in Barbados and ended their 11-year-long ICC title drought. India also came close on two occasions previously when they lost in the World Test Championship final and ODI World Cup final against Australia last year.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar triggered a debate on social media with his strange remarks about the coaches of the Indian team. Just as Gautam Gambhir prepares to begin his stint as the head coach of the Indian men’s national team, Manjrekar suggested that there’s no ‘direct correlation’ between coaches and the team winning the World Cup. Manjrekar, instead, suggested that it’s all about Indian cricket and the way it is functioning that suggests how successful a team is or isn’t.

India first won the ODI World Cup in 1983 when the team didn’t really have a designated head coach. Then came an incredibly successful stint in 2007, and 2011 where MS Dhoni led the team, though the coaches were different on both occasions. 

Under Dravid’s mentorship, India lifted the T20 World Cup 2024 title in Barbados and ended their 11-year-long ICC title drought. India also came close on two occasions previously when they lost in the World Test Championship final and ODI World Cup final against Australia last year.

As Gambhir looks to prepare a team that could challenge other top sides in the world at the ICC Champions Trophy (2025), ICC World Test Championship final (2025) and the 2027 ODI World Cup, Manjrekar wants focus on the players and not the coach.

“No coach, Lalchand Rajput, Gary Kirsten & Dravid. Coaches when India won WCs in 1983, 2007, 2011 & 2023. It’s really about Indian cricket, not who the coach is. Time we stop thinking there is a direct correlation,” Manjrekar wrote on X.

No coach, Lalchand Rajput, Gary Kirsten & Dravid. Coaches when India won WCs in 1983, 2007, 2011 & 2023.

It’s really about Indian cricket, not who the coach is. Time we stop thinking there is a direct correlation.

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) July 27, 2024

Many fans took to social media to criticise Manjrekar on the post, especially considering the timing.

Gambhir’s first coaching assignment will begin in Sri Lanka later in the day as Suryakumar Yadav-led India will take on hosts in the first T20I of the three-match series in Pallekele.

With IANS Inputs

When Sanjay Manjrekar schooled the Wankhede crowd to “behave” after they booed the newly-appointed Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya, all he wanted the public to realise that their boorish behaviour targeting a “big stage player”, was unfair. Pandya was jeered at every venue after he was handed captaincy by MI, signalling a controversial end to the successful and popular Rohit Sharma’s tenure at the helm. The whole episode had a deep-level impact on Pandya.

Manjrekar, while conducting the toss at the Wankhede during a home match of MI, did interject but it only led to a meme-fest by the insensitive social media trolls.

Pandya played a major part in India’s second T20 World Cup trophy with 144 runs and 11 wickets, and Manjrekar now stands vindicated.

“What a turnaround for Hardik Pandya. In IPL, there were people jeering him and booing him and I told them to behave because this is a big-stage player,” Manjrekar told ‘ESPNCricinfo’.

The former India player and noted pundit always knew that Pandya would hold his nerve in pressure situations as he brought his team back in the game with the wicket of the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen and then closed out the game with a mindblowing final over.

“We have seen that umpteen times, wickets of Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and right at the end, Rabada, so he was a champion and no surprise, to see him flourish on the big stage,” Manjrekar said.

Manjrekar reminded Indian fans that even in their humiliating defeat against England in Adelaide, back in the 2022 edition, the colourful Baroda man was a face-saver and a calm presence under pressure.

“Even in that semifinal against England, he came in and gave India some hope with 60 off 33. So that’s what he is all about.

“You felt safe when he came to bowl in the last over, he was not going to lose his nerves, he was going to bowl sensibly,” he concluded.

The T20 World Cup 2024 final continues to produce topics of debate. India’s victory against South Africa wasn’t a straightforward one, with the bowlers’ late heroics pulling the team back into the game. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh’s death bowling rescued India from a situation where South Africa needed just 30 runs from 30 balls to win the match. But, the Indian team eventually emerged triumphant by 7 runs, thanks to the bowling trio. However, the Player of the Match went to Virat Kohli, much to the surprise of former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar.

In a post-match show on ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar suggested that Kohli’s knock of 76 runs off 59 balls put India in a spot of bother before the pace bowlers came to the rescue. Manjrekar also said that his choice for the Player of the Match would’ve been an Indian bowler, not Kohli.

“By playing that innings, Hardik Pandya, one of their most devastating batters, had just two balls to face. So I thought India’s batting was good, but Virat Kohli had potentially played an innings that would’ve put India in a tight corner. And it almost proved to be that, before these guys’ bowlers came in the end.

“India were in a losing position, 90 percent winning chances (for South Africa). The complete turnaround actually saved Virat Kohli’s innings because he played virtually half the innings with a strike-rate of 128. My Player of the Match would’ve been a bowler because they actually took the game from the jaws of defeat and won it for India,” Manjrekar said.

Former Zimbabwe cricketer, Andy Flower, however, had a slightly different perspective. According to him, India had done enough with the bat by putting a total of 176 runs on the board. But, he did admit that had Rohit Sharma‘s men lost the match, Kohli would’ve courted plenty of criticism.

“If India had been pipped there, there would’ve been a lot of criticism going Virat Kohli’s way, I’d reckon. At the halfway mark, I thought India had enough, and that it was going to be a very difficult chase for South Africa,” he said.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar is “not concerned” about misfiring Virat Kohli’s form as he believes the overall momentum and form of the team is far more important ahead of the T20 World Cup final against South Africa. India’s stalwart batter has struggled to boss around the bowlers just like he did while opening for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Since touching down in the USA and the West Indies for the marquee event, Kohli has been enduring a nightmare, chasing shadows of his former self and searching for runs from his bat throughout the marquee event.

While the Indian captain Rohit Sharma and many former cricketers believe that Kohli has been saving to produce a spectacle in the final, Manjrekar looking at the broader picture, is more focused on the team’s performance rather than a single individual.

“Not really concerned about Virat Kohli’s form because the team’s form is far more important,” Manjrekar, who features as an expert on ‘Caught and Bold’ show on Disney Hotstar told ANI.

In seven matches, Kohli, with all his experience, has struggled to find that elusive purple patch and put together a string of performances while opening alongside Rohit.

In IPL 2024 he racked up a mouth-watering tally of 741 runs, but in the World Cup, he mustered up just 75 runs at an average of 10.71 throughout the tournament.

Despite Kohli’s no-show, India rose as a collective unit, with a different player emerging as a matchwinner for the Men in Blue.

With Rohit leading the team with a fearless approach from the front, Manjrekar firmly believes that India can end their hiatus of ICC World Cup trophies because of the new template that they introduced, which has worked like a charm for them.

“Of course India can lift the World Cup 2024, India has discovered a new template, the modern template of playing T20 cricket, and it’s paying rich dividends so far,” Manjrekar stated.

It will be a battle of unbeaten sides after South Africa and India stormed into the final without conceding a single defeat.

Manjrekar assessed the threat the Proteas players carry and feels that their star pace duo and hard-hitting opening batter could pose a threat to the Indian team on their quest to lift the T20 World Cup trophy.

“I would say one of the fast bowlers, either Anrich Nortje or Rabada or Quinton De Kock. In batting Quinton De Kock for sure,” Manjrekar added.

India will play the final on Saturday against South Africa at the Kensington Oval. If rain doesn’t allow the game to take place, then a reserve day is in store as well.

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that India should strive to find the right balance in playing XI according to the conditions that would help them clinch victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup. During the group stage in the United States, India decided to go for three frontline pacers and two spinners. But in the Super 8 stage against Afghanistan, Mohammed Siraj was dropped for Kuldeep Yadav to provide the service of an additional spinner. Hardik Pandya featured as the third pacer, while Shivam Dube provided another seamer option.

Manjrekar evaluated India’s playing options, which feature a wide variety of players and feels that the team should go for the winning combination according to the surface.

“I think it’s always nice to have many options, and that’s just, I think is the foremost for any team management when there are exciting options to choose from. So I don’t think that is such an issue, but they must remain true to what would be the best playing 11 to get India to win in certain conditions,” Manjrekar said on ‘Caught & Bold’ on Disney Hotstar.

India enjoyed a flawless run in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Featuring in Group A, they defeated Ireland, Pakistan and the co-hosts, the USA, to qualify for the Super 8.

Their final group stage game against Canada was washed away in Florida, and the Rohit-led side finished at the top of the group with seven points.

India played their first Super 8 game against Afghanistan on Thursday by 47 runs. Suryakumar Yadav starred with the bat and scored 53 runs in 28 balls at a whopping strike rate of 189.29.

India will look to maintain their unbeaten run as they face Bangladesh on Saturday at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua.

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan.

Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma were in the news in IPL 2024© BCCI/Sportzpics

Sanjay Manjrekar survived a close stumping decision© X (Twitter)

Just a day to go before the T20 World Cup 2024 begins, with hosts USA taking on Canada in the opening fixture of the campaign. For the Indian team, the campaign begins on June 05 when they will square off against Ireland. All of the members of the Indian team have already reached New York, where they will take on Bangladesh in a warm-up clash ahead of the marquee event. As the tournament nears, experts and former cricketers have contemplated the team’s strongest XI. As Sanjay Manjrekar picked his XI, there was no place for Yashasvi Jaiswal in the team.

Speaking to Star Sports, Manjrekar said he would’ve had Jaiswal in his starting XI if Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma weren’t playing. But, with the experienced duo in the roster, Jaiswal had to sit out.

“When you look at the batting order, you can see how it pans out. Opening pair: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli. Unfortunately, there’s no place for Yashasvi Jaiswal because Virat will not bat at number three; that’s a reality we have embraced. I would have loved to have Jaiswal if there were no Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and we could go with a young opening pair. But that’s not going to happen, so Jaiswal has to sit out,” said Manjrekar on Star Sports.

Manjrekar went with Rishabh Pant at the No. 4 spot, ahead of Sanju Samson, despite the fact that the latter has been in a better run of form.

“At number three, you could have Suryakumar Yadav and then Rishabh Pant. I want Pant to get into those India colours very early in the tournament because he is a big-match player. India’s problem in ICC events has been winning the semis or finals, and they need their big-match players to be feeling good. We know enough about Rishabh Pant; he’s a big stage, big pressure, big player. Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant are the players India have to invest heavily in. That’s how I would go,” he added.

As the current setup goes, only one of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube can be drafted into the Indian team. It looks like Dube will get the nod ahead of Jaiswal.

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar says he would have picked a much younger Indian squad for the T20 World Cup since loading the side with seniors has not worked in the past. Manjrekar said now India have no other choice but to pair Rohit Sharma with Virat Kohli for opening slot when he would have preferred to add the flavour of young and talented Yashaswi Jaiswal. Rohit and Kohli did not feature in much of the T20 assignments for India last year but returned to the fold as selectors showed faith in the seasoned campaigners.

“Ideally, I would not have gone that way; I would have stuck with a slightly more younger kind of, core set of players but the selectors have committed themselves to the icons, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli,” Manjrekar said on Star Sports’ Press Room World Cup edition on Friday.

“Now that they are in the squad, it’s impossible to have Virat Kohli batting at No. 3 because then you don’t get the full rally of Virat. Rohit Sharma has to open, so now, India in a way have forced themselves to have only one kind of combination — two right-handers,” he said.

Manjrekar does not think Jaiswal would find place in the Indian XI.

“Unfortunately, Jaiswal will have to sit out. I would have gone completely with a new lot (and) then he would have had a lot more flair and it would be something different,” he said.

“(But) India have trusted the seniors a move that hasn’t worked over the years let’s hope it works this time,” Manjrekar added.

The former India batter also dismissed suggestions that Mohammed Amir and Shaheen Shah Afridi would pose a threat to the Indian batters in the clash between the two arch-rivals on June 9.

“Mohammed Amir played his last international T20 seven years back. We have no idea what his form is like today. Shaheen Afridi is not the same bowler that he was two years ago.

“India have handled him really well, if you remember the Asia Cup, even in the 50-overs World Cup we had a one-sided match. I do not see Pakistan as a major threat to India, plus the names (of) Mohammed Amir and Shaheen Shah Afridi. I do not think this is a problem for India,” he added.

Irfan Pathan, meanwhile, termed left-arm spinner Imad Wasim as a threat.

“As a left-arm spinner with the new ball, he is not bad. He is a smart, bowls stumps to stumps and if the ball grips then he could be a threat,” he said.

Manjrekar backed Hardik Pandya to come good as a finisher.

“My vote will always go to Hardik Pandya. I know he had a pretty quiet IPL, but go back to the last T20 World Cup that India played, the last match, semis against England at Adelaide.

“Hardik Pandya got 60 off 30 balls at a strike rate of 190 after India had got 62 in their first 10 overs.

“When it comes to T20 World Cup — marquee events — back those guys who actually excel on the big stage and for me it will always be Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant ahead of people like Shivam Dubey, until we see him on the big stage,” he said.

Pathan said both Pandya and Dube will have different roles in the competition.

“Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube will play different roles. Hardik will have a set role to finish the game and Shivam will play as a floater, as a reinforcer against the spinners,” he said.

Manjrekar said India will also be cautious in the first round knowing what happened in the 50-overs World Cup in the Caribbean, wherein they had made a first-round exit in 2007.

“India will feel the pressure of the first round because (in) 2007 (in) the West Indies, funny things (had) happened. I see India up and running very quickly. (But) I’m just going to watch this Indian team in the matches that matter — semis and the finals,” he said.

“For India, World Cups are not anymore about getting into the final round. It’s about what you do in the final rounds,” he added.

Manjrekar also claimed that Kohli tends to bat with additional pressure in knockout games due to his stature, which is not the case with Rohit.

“Virat does take it upon himself. You see that happening in all the big games to bat a little longer, perhaps feels obliged because of the kind of stature that he has in Indian cricket to bat longer rather than just come and bat freely,” he said.

“But Rohit Sharma will do that, no matter his stature. We saw that in the ODI World Cup. But I’m worried about Virat really when it comes to semis and the finals,” he added.