Manoj Bhandage's stature grows as former Indian pacer strictly instructs BCCI to have a serious look

A well-known cricket columnist and former CEO of the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA), Makarand Waingankar, has strongly demanded the BCCI take the Karnataka batting all-rounder Manoj Bhandage under their wings.

Waingankar’s call was also backed by the former Indian cricketer and commentator, Dodda Ganesh.

Waingankar and Ganesh have extended their support to Bhandage following his explosive batting performance in the ongoing Maharaja Trophy 2024 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on August 15.

The Mysore Warriors crushed the Shivamogga Lions by a narrow seven-run margin via VJD Method in a thrilling rain-marred encounter in the Maharaja Trophy.

Calls for BCCI to support Manoj Bhandage grow louder after his stellar performance in the Maharaja Trophy 2024

The Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 League 2024 match, which had spectators on the edge of their seats, saw Mysore Warriors posting a competitive 159/8 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to the late heroics of Bhandage, who blazed his way to an unbeaten 42 off just 16 balls at a strike rate of 262.50.

The Shivamogga Lions had a revised target of 88 runs in nine overs due to the rain, and they put up a valiant fight but ultimately fell short despite a scintillating unbeaten 52 from Abhinav Manohar. The Lions got off to a shaky start, losing opener Nihal Ullal for a duck on just the second ball of the inning.

However, Manohar launched a counterattack with a flurry of boundaries and sixes, swinging the momentum back in Shivamogga's favor in Bengaluru. Rohit Kumar provided some support with a quickfire 12, including a six and a four, helping the Lions reach 29/1 by the end of the powerplay.

However, the Mysore Warriors' seasoned campaigner J. Suchit had other plans, as he removed both Rohit Kumar and Shivraj in quick succession, leaving Shivamogga in a precarious position in the T20 match. Manohar continued to fight, bringing up his half-century in just 26 balls, featuring eight boundaries and two massive sixes.

However, despite a six from Avinash D. in the final over, the Lions were left stranded at 80/5, unable to chase down the target of 88 runs against the Warriors. Earlier, the Mysore Warriors had a rough start in their innings, losing key wickets early. SU Karthik and C. A. Karthik were dismissed cheaply by Pradeep T., while captain Karun Nair, despite hitting consecutive boundaries, couldn't capitalize on the start and departed for 18.

Bhandage shows his beast mode to Shivamogga Lions

The middle order struggled to find stability with Samit Dravid and Harshil Dhamani falling cheaply, leaving Mysore reeling at 71/6 after 12 overs. It was then that Krishnappa Gowtham and J. Suchit attempted to revive the innings with a crucial partnership of 24 runs before both were dismissed in quick succession.

The turning point came when Bhandage took charge, launching an all-out assault on the Shivamogga bowlers. His explosive knock, including 26 runs off the final over, propelled the Warriors to a challenging total of 159/8, with the final five overs yielding a staggering 72 runs.

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After the match, Waingankar took to the social media platform X and said that Bhandage can be a great all-round option for Team India in T20Is. He posted on X: “25-year-old diminutive left-hand batsman and right-hand medium pacer from Raichur in Karnataka can be a pocket dynamo if the national selectors are looking for an all-rounder for T20. He times his big shots to perfection like Rinku Singh but knows well how to plan an over.”

25 yr old diminutive left hand batsman and right hand medium pacer from Raichur in Karnataka can be a pocket dynamo if the national selectors are looking for an all-rounder for T20. He times his big shots to perfection like Rinku Singh but knows well how to plan an over.

— Makarand Waingankar (@wmakarand) August 17, 2024

Hope some franchise gives him the opportunity in the next IPL: Ganesh on Bhandage

Reacting to Waingankar’s opinion, the former Indian pacer Ganesh said that the Royan Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) benched him for the last two Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons, so he wants some other team to come forward and invest in the Karnataka star, as he has great potential to shine.

Dodda Ganesh posted on X: “I’ve been harping about him for 2 seasons now. But the @RCBTweets benched him for 2 editions straight and didn’t give him a game. Not even as an impact substitute. Manoj Bhandage is one of the clean strikers of the cricket ball. Hope some franchise gives him the opportunity #MaharajaTrophy.”

I’ve been harping about him from 2 seasons now. But the @RCBTweets benched him for 2 editions straight and didn’t give him a game. Not even as an impact substitute. Manoj Bhandage is one of the clean strikers of the cricket ball. Hope some franchise gives him the opportunity… https://t.co/YiGYLkqb7j

— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) August 17, 2024