Sanjay Manjrekar was shocked by Yuzvendra Chahal‘s selection in India’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. The ODI Series is quite a dead rubber as there is no ODI tournament till 2025 Champions Trophy whose venue is yet to be decided.
The Indian team will be competing against the Proteas in three T20Is and three ODIs, with the first match scheduled for Sunday in Durban. Alongside Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav, Chahal is one of four spinners chosen for India’s ODI squad.
Yuzvendra Chahal is a surprise inclusion- Sanjay Manjrekar
During a recent episode of the Star Sports show ‘Game Plan’, commentator Manjrekar was asked for his insights on India’s ODI squad. He said he was happy with the seam bowlers but showed surprise at Chahal’s inclusion, further elaborating,
“I like it. Again this is workload management, but I am excited with the fact that Deepak Chahar is back because I like him as a cricketer. Avesh Khan gets another opportunity,” said Sanjay Manjrekar.
He added,
“I believe Mukesh Kumar is a sturdy and dependable bowler, he has come. Chahal is a surprise inclusion. I thought Chahal was more your bowler for T20 cricket but there they have got somebody like a Bishnoi,”
Chahal has amassed a total of 121 wickets with an impressive economy rate of 5.26 in just 69 ODI innings. Despite his strong performance, he was not chosen to participate in the upcoming 2023 World Cup, with Kuldeep being favored as the sole wrist-spinner. It remains to be seen if Chahal will have the opportunity to play in the game against South Africa, as Kuldeep is also included in the squad.
I am always excited when I see India’s second-string or next-generation players- Sanjay Manjrekar
Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, and Sanju Samson’s selections in the batting department made Sanjay Manjrekar happy, and he explained further,
“Rajat Patidar – really happy to see him fit and raring to go. A big promotion for Rinku Singh. He has now become a part of ODI cricket. I saw Sanju Samson playing ODIs against South Africa in India and I got slightly excited there as well, that he is a good option,” said Sanjay Manjrekar.
The cricketer-turned-commentator observed that the Indian selectors had chosen an excellent combination. He mentioned that the Proteas will pose a tough challenge for the young side.
“I am always excited when I see India’s second string or next-generation players. It seems like it is a very strong team but the problem is that South Africa are a formidable team in white-ball cricket and bilateral series. So it will be a stiff test but this team is very good,” he added.
The last time India played away in an ODI series was when they lost to South Africa 3-0. In 2018, The Men in Blue secured a 5-1 victory in their only ODI series win against SA at their home.
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