Cricket fans were critical of former cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar for his remarks during the India vs New Zealand match in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the UAE. While Harmanpreet Kaur’s team was chasing a target of 161, Manjrekar made a comment directed at the Indian women’s team fielding coach, Munish Bali, which didn’t sit well with viewers. His remarks sparked backlash, as fans expressed their disapproval on social media, defending the team’s coaching staff and performance.
While discussing the Indian women’s team coaching staff, Manjrekar’s fellow commentator introduced Munish Bali, noting his background as a former Punjab cricketer who joined the team alongside Amol Majumdar. However, Manjrekar admitted to not recognizing Bali, which caught some viewers off guard. The comment sparked reactions, as fans expected more familiarity with the key figures supporting the Indian squad.
He said, “ I could not recognise him. North ke players ki taraf mera zyada dhyaan nahi hota (I don’t pay much attention to the players from North India).”
Fans were not pleased with Manjrekar’s comment and swiftly took to social media to express their frustration. Many criticized the former India batter, with some even calling for the broadcasters to remove him from the commentary team, showing their strong disapproval of his remarks.
A user named Sports Comedy wrote, “ I’ve no interest in North Indian Cricketers – Sanjay Manjrekar, Why so much hate ?”
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Another user named Naeem wrote, “ I don’t have interest in North Indian cricketers ~Sanjay Manjrekar @ICC @BCCI how can you allow such racist person in comm panel?? Put ban on him”
Another user named Abhay Singh wrote, “ Sanjay Manjrekar said, “I don’t pay much attention to players from the North.” Mumbai Lobby is a real thing!!”
Disappointing Opening for India in T20 WC:
India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign began on a disappointing note, suffering a 58-run loss to New Zealand. Chasing 161, India was bowled out for 102 in 19 overs, with no batter managing to cross 20 runs. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur admitted the team underperformed but disagreed that the 161-run target was unachievable on the slower pitch.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said, “ We didn’t play our best cricket. Going forward we know every game is important. We have chased many times 160-170, we were expecting that on the board. While batting, we knew someone had to bat through but we kept losing wickets.”
India faces Pakistan on Sunday, and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is confident her team will rise to the occasion, backing them to secure a victory against their arch-rivals in the highly anticipated clash. She further said, “ We know this group is capable of better, this wasn’t the start we were expecting but we have to go from here.”
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