Sanjay Manjrekar has picked three Indian players to watch for during the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. He shared these names on the Sportskeeda show Sanjay Se Sawal.
Team India will play six limited-overs matches, starting with the first ODI on July 13, during their tour of Sri Lanka. The Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian side is mainly comprised of white-ball specialists and players who intend to make a mark on the international stage.
Sanjay Manjrekar: Suryakumar Yadav Looks A Perfect Fit For The Middle Order
Suryakumar Yadav was the first player picked by Sanjay Manjrekar who looks a perfect fit for India’s middle order problems that was one of the big reasons for India’s exit in the last ODI World Cup 2019.
“One is Suryakumar Yadav. You know India had a middle-order problem in white-ball cricket. It became a big reason for India’s loss at the 2019 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav looks a perfect fit for the middle order, to play at No.3 or No.4.”
The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that the swashbuckling batsman will have to continue displaying the same form he has shown in the IPL and the T20I series against England.
Sanjay Manjrekar explained:”So we will have to see his form because his international debut was very good but there is so much competition that he will have to continuously give performances like that. The class we are seeing in his batting over the last two-three years in white-ball cricket, in the IPL, the expectation is that he will carry that form to Indian cricket.”
Suryakumar Yadav had made a sensational international debut in the T20Is against England. He will hope to continue in the same vein and cement a spot in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup slated later this year.
Sanjay Manjrekar: Chetan Sakariya Will Bring Some Variation Being A Left Arm Seamer While Varun Chakravarthy Can Pick Wickets In The Middle Overs
“The second player whose performance I am looking forward to, I hope he gets a chance as well, is Chetan Sakariya. I was just amazed that such a new guy who has hardly played any senior cricket, the way he bowled in the IPL. He is a left-arm seamer, so will also bring some variation in the Indian attack.”
The 55-year-old pointed out that the youngster who debuted and impressed in IPL 2021 showed the ability to bowl at all stages of a T20 innings during the IPL.
Sanjay Manjrekar elaborated: “The success he enjoyed in the IPL, it was not that he was bowling just the middle overs, sometimes your economy rate looks very good by bowling the easy overs, he bowled all the tough overs and despite that a very good economy rate and a good strike rate. Seeing all that, it seems that he has different skills to survive in each of the stages of an innings.”
Sanjay Manjrekar’s third and final pick was Varun Chakravarthy who picked 17 wickets in the 2020 IPL season at an average of 20.94 and 7 scalps in as many games in IPL 2021.
“The third player is Varun Chakravarthy. It is probably time now to see more spinners, for quite a few years Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have flown the Indian tricolor, so it will be good to have more options.”
The 37-Test veteran reasoned that the Kolkata Knight Riders spinner can bring in the mystery element, much like Sunil Narine used to do in the past.
Sanjay Manjrekar added: “Rahul Chahar is a proper leg-spinner but Varun Chakravarthy has that specialty that was there in Sunil Narine earlier, when his bowling action was not suspect. His temperament is very good, he is mild-natured and bowls a straight line. So if a batsman tries to take a risk against him, he has the ability to get him bowled or leg-before. He is a spinner who can get wickets for India in the middle overs.”
Varun Chakravarthy is yet to make his India debut after being sidelined by injuries and fitness issues in the past. The Sri Lanka series presents him with a great opportunity to impress the selectors before they pick the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup.