IPL 2021: Sanjay Manjrekar suggests MI bring Rahul Chahar back into the side against SRH
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has suggested that the defending champions, the Mumbai Indians, bring leg-spinner Rahul Chahar back into the starting lineup for their next game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Manjrekar urged MI to leave out off-spinner Jayant Yadav, as there are a lot of right-handers in the SRH lineup and feels that Chahar would come in handy against them.
Match 55 of the IPL 2021 will be held at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Manjrekar posted a video on his official Instagram channel, previewing today's game between MI and SRH. You can find the video below:
In his preview of the match, the 56-year old said:
"The other thing Mumbai can look at is that there are so many right-handers in the SRH lineup that they can bring back Rahul Chahar in place of Jayant Yadav. It will be interesting to see whether the break has helped him just like Ishan Kishan."
Chahar, who is named in the Indian squad for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021, was dropped from the Mumbai Indians side following his underwhelming performances in the UAE leg of the competition.
Since the restart, the Rajasthan-born spinner only managed a couple of wickets in four matches before being replaced by off-spinner Jayant Yadav.
Anybody who has taken pace off the ball has made a mark on the surfaces in the UAE: Sanjay Manjrekar
While referring to Jimmy Neesham's impressive display against the Rajashtan Royals, Manjrekar indicated that bowlers who take the pace of the ball have been successful in the UAE. Neesham picked up three wickets in his quota of four overs
The surfaces in the UAE have been a bit two-pacey and sluggish compared to last year when the IPL 2020 was held in the Middle East. While continuing his preview of the match, Manjrekar said:
"Quinton de Kock, who looked in the best of touches in the underwhelming Mumbai Indians lineup, was dropped to accommodate Jimmy Neesham. Neesham bowled spectacularly to everyone's surprise. Anybody who has taken pace off the ball has made a mark on the surfaces in the UAE."
It remains to be seen whether the Mumbai Indians will persist with Jayant Yadav or bring back Rahul Chahar into the side when they face Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last encounter of the group stages in the IPL 2021. The match will kick off at 7:30. PM.