Sanjay Manjrekar Names Three Indian Players To Watch Out For Against Sri Lanka

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has named three players to watch out for in the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. The selectors have named a host of young faces as India’s first-choice players are currently in England, preparing for the five-Test series. With Rahul Dravid at the helm, it promises to be an exciting series. Keeping that in mind, Sanjay Manjrekar picked three players he is keen to see perform well.

Sanjay Manjrekar started with Suryakumar Yadav, who he believes can solve India’s middle-order problem in white-ball cricket. The cricketer-turned commentator believes that it became a significant reason for their loss in the 2019 World Cup and Yadav looks a perfect fit for the middle=order role.

“One is Suryakumar Yadav. You know India had a middle-order problem in white-ball cricket. It became a big reason for India’s loss at the 2019 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav looks a perfect fit for the middle order, to play at No.3 or No.4,” Sanjay Manjrekar told in the Sportskeeda show Sanjay Se Sawal

Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out that while the right-handed batsman’s international career started well, too much competition needs him to perform consistently. But the 55-year old expects the 31-year old to carry his impressive form to international cricket.

“So we will have to see his form because his international debut was very good but there is so much competition that he will have to continuously give performances like that. The class we are seeing in his batting over the last two-three years in white-ball cricket, in the IPL, the expectation is that he will carry that form to Indian cricket,” the cricketer-turned commentator stated.

Sanjay Manjrekar names a spinner and pacer in his remaining two picks:

Sanjay Manjrekar looks forward to seeing Chetan Sakariya at the international arena and was impressed by his maturity in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals. The Mumbai-born former cricketer underlined that as a left-arm seamer, he brings variation to the attack and observed he had a good economy and strike rate by bowling all the tough overs. Manjrekar backs Sakariya to come good at the top level.

“The second player whose performance I am looking forward to, I hope he gets a chance as well, is Chetan Sakariya. I was just amazed that such a new guy who has hardly played any senior cricket, the way he bowled in the IPL. He is a left-arm seamer, so will also bring some variation in the Indian attack. The success he enjoyed in the IPL, it was not that he was bowling just the middle overs, sometimes your economy rate looks very good by bowling the easy overs, he bowled all the tough overs and despite that a very good economy rate and a good strike rate. Seeing all that, it seems that he has different skills to survive in each of the stages of an innings,” Manjrekar conceded.

Finally, Sanjay Manjrekar stated that Varun Chakravarthy is one player he would like to see do well after Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav carried the spin-bowling attack for some time. The 37-Test veteran highlighted that Varun has a good temperament, is mild-natured, and bowls straight. Manjrekar further conceded that any batsman will think of taking a risk against the leggie and could become a designated wicket-taker in the middle overs.

“The third player is Varun Chakravarthy. It is probably time now to see more spinners, for quite a few years Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have flown the Indian tricolor, so it will be good to have more options. Rahul Chahar is a proper leg-spinner but Varun Chakravarthy has that specialty that was there in Sunil Narine earlier, when his bowling action was not suspect. His temperament is very good, he is mild-natured and bowls a straight line. So if a batsman tries to take a risk against him, he has the ability to get him bowled or leg-before. He is a spinner who can get wickets for India in the middle overs,” he added further.

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