Might As Well Scrap Ranji Then: Sanjay Manjrekar Takes Dig At BCCI Over KL Rahul's Inclusion In Test Side
Published - 28 Oct 2020, 02:58 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 11:40 AM
KL Rahul’s inclusion in India’s Test side for the upcoming tour of Australia has not gone down very well with former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar. The right-handed batsman has not played a Test since the tour of West Indies last year but has found a place in the side thanks to his stunning form in white-ball cricket.
KL Rahul was dropped from the Test side right after the West Indies tour as India tried out Rohit Sharma as opener and the move paid off. Rohit scored three centuries including a double century against South Africa to cement his spot in the Test side.
Before being dropped, KL Rahul was in terrible for in Tests for nearly two years. Since the start of 2018, he has averaged 22.23 across 15 Test matches, scoring just one hundred, against England and only one fifty, against Afghanistan in Bengaluru. His career average, which was 44.62 before the lean run dropped to 34.58 after the string of poor scores.
But after being dropped from the Test side, KL Rahul showed stunning form in white-ball cricket before impressing in the ongoing IPL and earned his spot in the Test side. Sanjay Manjrekar, however, is not at all impressed with the batsman’s inclusion in the Test side on the basis of his form in white-ball cricket.
The former cricketer-turned-commentator, who had previously said that Rahul was lucky to earn a call from the Test team, took a dig at BCCI for setting bad precedence by not giving priority to the players who are doing well in Ranji Trophy.
Sanjay Manjrekar made his comments on Twitter on Wednesday. It all started after one user accused him of failing to recognise ‘Rahul’s class’. In reply, the outspoken commentator pointed out Rahul’s terrible run in Tests before being dropped, tweeting:
“Sir, we are talking tests here. While showing consistent class in white ball cricket he failed consistently in the last 5 test series. Not 5 matches…5 test series! Finally gets dropped & gets recall in Tests because he showed class in IPL? How is that right from any angle?”
Sir, we are talking tests here. While showing consistent class in white ball cricket he failed consistently in the last 5 test series. Not 5 matches…5 test series!
Finally gets dropped & gets recall in Tests because he showed class in IPL? How is that right from any angle? ?? h<!---->t<!---->t<!---->p<!---->s<!---->:<!---->/<!---->/<!---->t<!---->.<!---->c<!---->o<!---->/<!---->d<!---->3<!---->Q<!---->O<!---->v<!---->r<!---->i<!---->E<!---->o<!---->M— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) O<!---->c<!---->t<!---->o<!---->b<!---->e<!---->r<!----> <!---->2<!---->8<!---->,<!----> <!---->2<!---->0<!---->2<!---->0
Replying to another tweet, the former Mumbai batsman said that forgetting Ranji players is a bad precedent and cheekily said that the Ranji Trophy should be scrapped in such situation, writing:
“Whether he succeeds or fails is another matter. As I said bad precedent. Picking people from the spotlight of IPL and forgetting Ranji players. Might as well scrap Ranji then.”
Whether he succeeds or fails is another matter. As I said bad precedent. Picking people from the spotlight of IPL and forgetting Ranji players. Might as well scrap Ranji then. ? h<!---->t<!---->t<!---->p<!---->s<!---->:<!---->/<!---->/<!---->t<!---->.<!---->c<!---->o<!---->/<!---->m<!---->x<!---->E<!---->n<!---->R<!---->a<!---->i<!---->E<!---->T<!---->z
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) O<!---->c<!---->t<!---->o<!---->b<!---->e<!---->r<!----> <!---->2<!---->8<!---->,<!----> <!---->2<!---->0<!---->2<!---->0
