Not Dhawan or Rayudu! Rajasthan Royals star named most underrated IPL player by Manoj Tiwary
Published - 09 Apr 2026, 01:53 PM | Updated - 09 Apr 2026, 01:54 PM
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The ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) is going on in full swing, and former Indian batter and cricket pundit Manoj Tiwary has decided to add some spice with his bold yet shocking picks.
Actually, Manoj Tiwary was asked to reveal the most underrated player in IPL history during an interesting segment on Cricbuzz’s Winners Stays On, and he stunned one and all with his completely different choice. He overlooked the big names like Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Yusuf Pathan, or even legends like Jacques Kallis and picked an Indian star.
Wriddhiman Saha beats Shaun Marsh and Yusuf Pathan in Manoj Tiwary's elite pick
The fresh ‘Winners Stay On’ round began with a Shaun Marsh vs Wriddhiman Saha question. Without hesitation, Tiwary backed Saha. The Australian star Marsh played 71 matches, where he amassed 2477 at a strike rate of 132.74. On the other hand, Saha has 2934 runs and 119 (93 catches, 26 stumpings) dismissals to his name in 170 IPL games.
Then came Rajat Bhatia’s name, and once again, Tiwary picked Saha over the former all-rounder, who has 342 runs in 49 innings and 71 wickets in 91 games. Even Yusuf Pathan, who was one of the IPL's most impactful all-rounders, was also ignored by the Bengal minister for Saha.
Pathan has 3204 runs in 154 innings and 42 wickets in 82 matches to his name in the league. He won titles with Rajasthan Royals in 2008 and Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and then 2014. Even the former Indian World Cup winner held the record for the fastest fifty—15 balls—for several years.
Sandeep Sharma picked as IPL's most underrated player
But when Sandeep Sharma’s name entered the contest, Manoj Tiwary didn’t change his mind till the last name during the segment. Without a second thought, the cricket pandit dropped Saha and picked Sandeep over him. Sandeep is known for his swing bowling and powerplay heroics.
The Indian star has so far played 140 matches for teams like Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and Rajasthan Royals (44). Sandeep, who is playing for RR in the IPL 2026, has 149 wickets at an average of 27.87 and economy rate of 8.05 to his name till date.
Well, Jacques Kallis, who is considered the complete package and one of the greatest-ever all-rounders, but still, Tiwary shockingly went with Sandeep Sharma over the Proteas legend.
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Manoj Tiwary ignores players like Sikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu and Jacques Kallis for Sandeep Sharma
Not just Kallis, who finished his IPL career with 2,427 runs and 65 wickets in 98 matches, Tiwary ignored some of the big names like Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Manish Pandey, Mitchell McClenaghan, Chris Lynn, Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla, Shikhar Dhawan, Krunal Pandya, Albie Morkel, Ambati Rayudu, and James Faulkner.
Eventually, Tiwary has backed Sandeep Sharma as the most underrated player in IPL history during the rapid-fire round. His decision to overlook these stars for Sandeep left many shocked. In the ongoing season, only Sandeep, Manish and Pandya are in action for the different teams.
James Faulkner or Krunal Pandya? Winner stays on
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 9, 2026
Who is the most underrated player? @tiwarymanoj picks ⬇️@GoogleIndia pic.twitter.com/rk3OjokqBU
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