Sanjay Manjrekar blames ‘Hero Worshipping’ of the senior cricketers as the reason behind the downfall of the Indian Test team
Sanjay Manjrekar discussed the emotional bias in Indian cricket when managing the careers of legendary players and senior pros.
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Sanjay Manjrekar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (Via X)
Indian Cricket Team has been going through a very tough time in Test cricket in recent times. They suffered a 3-0 whitewash loss at home against New Zealand, which was their first home series loss in Test cricket since 2012 and also the first whitewash suffered at home in a three-match Test series since they started playing Test cricket.
India then suffered a 3-1 series defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 in Australia. It could have been a 4-1 loss if not for the rain in the third Test in Brisbane. Several questions have been raised about the underperforming senior players with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
In such a scenario, former Indian cricketer and current commentator Sanjay Manjrekar, feels that the transition phase affects the Indian Cricket Team the most in the top Test-playing nations because India is busy hero-worshipping the senior players.
India are a sought-after cricket team that the world wants to eagerly host. They play a lot of matches in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries, so it is fair to be judged to the highest standards. This ‘generational slump’ is inevitable for all teams. It’s what we know as the transition phase and among the best teams in the world. I believe it affects India the most.
Sanjay Manjrekar wrote in his column for Hindustan Times
Manjrekar cited the 4-0 whitewash in England and Australia in 2011-12 and went on to say that the senior cricketers dragged their careers and caused mayhem within the team.
The one foremost reason behind this is the icon culture we have in India and the hero worship of certain players. Be it 2011-12 or now, it’s the same scenario that gets played out — iconic players featuring prominently doing the opposite of what they did their entire careers, thereby dragging the team down with their diminished performances.
Sanjay Manjrekar added
Sanjay Manjrekar feels that the Indian team selectors become emotional with senior cricketers
Manjrekar feels that when India were whitewashed in England and Australia in 2011-12, the senior cricketers with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and VVS Laxman were out of form, but the team still stuck to them. He feels that the country’s rational thinking goes out of the window when they judge the senior cricketers, and the selector’s decision-making are influenced by emotions. Manjrekar opined that the selectors don’t want to be blamed as the ones to end the careers of senior cricketers.
When India lost 0-8 to England and Australia, Tendulkar averaged 35, Sehwag 19.91 and Laxman 21.06. Only Dravid stood out and got runs in England (he averaged 76.83) but in Australia he too was given a harsh reality check (he averaged 24.25). Thing is, when it comes to the big players, we as a country are just not able to stay rational. Emotions run high and those in positions to take decisions on these players are influenced by this climate.
Sanjay Manjrekar said
Sharma and Kohli have struggled in Test cricket for quite some time. However, they have still been supported and backed. Now, questions have been asked about their place in the test team, and calls have been made for the team and the selectors to move away from the duo.
However, these two players carry a big fanbase, and hence, it remains to be seen what finally happens regarding their future on the Test side.
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Rohit Sarkar
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