"A team of 11, not just one or two" - Sanjay Manjrekar on India not being overly dependent on Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli at 2024 T20 World Cup
Sanjay Manjrekar has pointed out that India haven't been overly dependent on senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli at the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup. He highlighted how all the players have contributed to the Men in Blue's success in the showpiece event.
He opined that both Sharma and Kohli should continue trying to score at a brisk pace at the top of the order, instead of looking to bat for a long time. Giving his take on the depth in India's batting lineup, Manjrekar wrote in his column for the Hindustan Times:
"Rohit and Virat are still obvious icons in this team and for its fans, but India, as we have seen in this WC, have moved on. It is now a team of 11, not just one or two. Come the semis, when the challenge gets stiffer and India play with the realisation that they will be knocked out of the tournament if they lose, Rohit and Virat must continue to embrace this attitude."
Manjrekar recalled that it backfired for India when Sharma and Kohli looked to anchor the innings in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final against England. He added:
"The last thing India want is a repeat of the semis of the last T20 WC when both Rohit and Virat took it upon themselves to be the ones to lead India’s fight against a strong England side, which backfired badly."
Kohli scored 50 runs off 40 balls, while Sharma finished with a 28-ball 27 in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final against England. India registered 168/6 in 20 overs. England made a mockery of the total, chasing it down in 16 overs with 10 wickets in hand.
"Not so sure about Arshdeep against a strong team on a pressure stage" - Sanjay Manjrekar on India's bowling
In the same piece for the Hindustan Times, Sanjay Manjrekar added that he was concerned about Team India's bowling department. He mentioned that while the side have a reliable option in Jasprit Bumrah, it remains to be seen if Arshdeep Singh will be able to shine in a high-pressure match.
The cricketer-turned-commentator remarked:
"I also have one minor concern regarding India’s seam quality (barring the genius of Bumrah, of course); I am not so sure about Arshdeep against a strong team on a pressure stage. This aside, India seem to have all bases covered."
It is worth mentioning that Arshdeep Singh is currently India's leading wicket-taker at the 2024 T20 World Cup. The left-arm pacer has bagged 12 scalps from five outings at an economy rate of 7.05.