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‘This has been the most frustrating IPL to watch,’ says Sanjay Manjrekar
By SMCS - Oct 15, 2021 11:30 am
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Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has said that this has been the ‘most frustrating’ season in the tournament’s history. Manjrekar’s comments came after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)’s final-over win against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Wednesday as well.

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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

KKR struggled in their chase of 136 runs as they collapsed from 123-1 to 130-7 within five overs. The equation came down from 13 runs off 24 balls to 6 runs off 2 when Rahul Tripathi smashed his team home with a maximum against Ravichandran Ashwin as well and sealed the deal.

Sanjay Manrjekar said in an ESPNcricinfo video: “I have followed the IPL very closely, but this has been a very unique IPL. We have seen some quality players but we have (also) seen a large number of guys who are either ability wise, quite ordinary to begin with or players who are past their prime…You have got these very good players and then there’s a huge chunk of out-of-form players, players past their prime and players with the ability (seeing which) you wonder whether they belong here. And that’s why we have seen so many bizarre ends and turnarounds. This has been, for me, the most frustrating IPL to watch.”

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Sanjay Manjrekar further stated that the pitches in the UAE have helped most bowlers this season as well. However, he also added that the batters have drastically failed to match the bowlers as well. Notably, KKR won by three wickets and reached the final where they will play the final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Friday in Dubai.

He continued: “The pitches have helped the bowlers, the medium-pace kind, the quicks, the spinners, everybody. Bowling has thrived, but you would expect in this kind of league for batters to play with distinction. You can understand the first couple of games (but) you can’t be looking rusty in one of your final games of the tournament… IPL this time has basically carried a lot of flap, and that’s what we are seeing here.”

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Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Meanwhile, Sanjay Manjrekar also named a few players who have contributed to this IPL season. He again shared that this season has shown the quality of all the teams and also where they are lacking.

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He said: “Once Venkatesh Iyer and Shubman Gill were gone, Dinesh Karthik, clearly out of his prime, Morgan, woefully out of form, I have got a long list, Suresh Raina, you know, shouldn’t be playing the IPL but is playing, you have got Riyan Parag who played a number of matches for Rajasthan Royals, (Liam) Livingstone, Nicholas Pooran, Dan Christian the batter, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, a lot of these players have just been instrumental in these kind of turnarounds.”

“Two or three batters got out, but they got you a great platform. You just have to see that through however tricky the pitch is, you need to have that ability… Unfortunately, it’s getting exposed, the quality of players. In most teams there are three four good ones, but the rest, not quite there,” concluded Sanjay Manjrekar.