T20 World Cup 2024: "Same yardstick didn't apply for Rinku Singh" - Sanjay Manjrekar slams selectors for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli's WC selection

Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has taken a dig at the selectors for preferring some senior players over youngsters for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The selectors' decision to recall Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20I side has indeed raised a number of eyebrows. Not many were expecting the senior batters to play in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup after they did not play a single T20I for Team India last year. In Rohit's absence, Hardik Pandya was leading the T20I side and did a fine job.

However, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel decided to recall both the teams in the T20 team earlier this year when India hosted Afghanistan in January for a short three-match series. Both the players have also been named in the squad for the World Cup, a decision that has not impressed many.

Many believe that the team should have finally moved on and tried out new players in the upcoming edition after failing to win the title since 2007. And Sanjay Manjrekar has a similar opinion as well. The former cricketer-turned-commentator did not take any names but pointed out that the senior players did not deserve a place in the team on the basis of their performance in the last T20 World Cup.

He also expressed his surprise over Rinku Singh's absence from the main squad even after his brilliant performance for Team India in the shortest format of the game.

"Given that the selectors said not much credence will be given to IPL performances while selecting the World Cup squad, it’s surprising that the last T20 WC performance of the senior batters was not a red flag. The same yard stick did not apply for Rinku Singh, who would have walked into that WC squad based on his recent T20 international performances," wrote Manjrekar in his column for the Hindustan Times.

Sanjay Manjrekar on India's failure to win T20 World Cup:

Team India have not won the T20 World Cup since MS Dhoni led the team to victory in the inaugural edition in 2014. Since then, India have qualified for the final just once and are yet to lay their hands on the coveted title. The Men in Blue have thoroughly dominated the bilateral series but have failed to go all the way in the T20 World Cup.

Speaking about it, Manjrekar wrote: "Unlike IPL, the T20 WC is a very short tournament, so a lot is left to chance. One wide here or there costs you the game and with it your shot at the title.

"Maybe it’s why we have had six different champions in eight editions. It’s not always about which T20 side is truly the greatest in the world. Sometimes, it’s about the team that had the best four weeks," he added.

The T20 World Cup 2024 is scheduled to be played from June 1 to 29. India will be opening their campaign on June 5 against Ireland.