T20 World Cup 2024: Sanjay Manjrekar issues an official statement after being trolled heavily for his predicted India squad

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar faced trolling after revealing his India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to be played in the West Indies and the USA. Notably, Sanjay Manjrekar excluded Virat Kohli and opted for Krunal Pandya over his brother Hardik in his squad.

Last week, Sanjay Manjrekar announced his T20 World Cup squad, leaving out notable players like Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh. Surprisingly, he included uncapped players Mayank Yadav and Harshit Rana, as well as Krunal Pandya, in his 15-member squad.

The cricketer-turned-commentator selected KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and Rishabh Pant as the wicketkeeper batters. Ravindra Jadeja and Krunal Pandya were chosen as all-rounders for the marquee tournament. Spin twins Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were picked as the specialist spinners.

However, the former Indian batter received backlash from fans across social media platforms for dropping Virat Kohli from the squad. The 35-year-old batter is the leading run-getter in T20 World Cups but has come under scrutiny for his strike rate in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

Sanjay Manjrekar's squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav, Krunal Pandya.

Everyone Has Their Own Take On Selections - Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar responded to the trolling regarding his India probable squad selection, stating that everyone has their own opinions on selections. Manjrekar emphasized that there has never been a team that pleases everyone.

"Everyone has their own take on selections. It’s a historical fact that there has never been a team picked that everyone is happy about. This is now in the past…the selection that is. Now it’s time to back India in its execution! All the best #TeamIndia #T20WorldCup2024," Manjrekar wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Everyone has their own take on selections. It’s a historical fact that there has never been a team picked that everyone is happy about. This is now in the past…the selection that is. Now it’s time to back India in its execution!
All the best #TeamIndia 👍#T20WorldCup2024

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) May 1, 2024

BCCI Announce India's Squad For T20 World Cup 2024

On April 30, Team India finalized their 15-player squad for the T20 World Cup. Veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli secured spots in the squad. Yashasvi Jaiswal was included despite his lackluster performances in the IPL 2024. Jaiswal might open with Rohit in the upcoming tournament.

Suryakumar Yadav, the top-ranked men's T20I batter, was selected to lead the middle order alongside wicketkeepers Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant. Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja earned spots in the squad despite their recent poor form. Pandya was also appointed as the vice-captain.

Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj were selected as pacers in the bowling attack. Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were named as specialist spinners. Hardik Pandya will serve as the fourth pacer in the team. Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are the spin all-rounders in the squad.

India's T20 World Cup Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Mohammed Siraj.

Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma to retire from international cricket after...