“Virat will pick Jadeja”: Sanjay Manjrekar drops Ravindra Jadeja from his playing XI for 1st ODI against Australia, triggers debate

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JKR Staff
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Former India player and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has once again made his feelings public about Ravindra Jadeja, who he had called ‘bits and pieces cricketer’ during the last year’s World Cup cricket in England. Manjrekar, however, clarified that Virat Kohli would still include Jadeja in the playing XI.

Reacting to a Twitter user, who had asked Manjrekar to pick his playing XI for the first ODI, the former India batsman wrote, “Here you go Vaibhav.. Based on the principle of playing specialists – 1- Shikhar 2- Mayank 3- Virat 4- Shreyas 5- Rahul 6- Manish 7- Shami 8- Kuldeep( Virat will pick Jadeja ) 9- Chahal 10- Bumrah 11- Shardul/ Saini.”

When a user asked him why he always underestimated Jadeja’s potential as a cricketer, Manjrekar replied, “Because I have a principle about selection that has come about from years of study and personal experience. Pick specialists. Jadeja walks into my Test team as bowler.”

Manjrekar’s playing XI excluding Jadeja evoked strong reactions from cricket fans.

Manjrekar has triggered a huge controversy during the World Cup last year by calling Jadeja ‘bits and pieces player.’ “I am not a big fan of bits and pieces players which Jadeja is at this point of his career in 50-over cricket. In Test matches, he is a pure bowler. But in 50-over cricket, I would rather have a batsman and a spinner,” he was quoted as saying.

This had evoked an angry reaction from the player from Giujarat, who had tweeted, “Still i have played twice the number of matches you have played and i m still playing. Learn to respect ppl who have achieved.i have heard enough of your verbal diarrhoea.”

India and Australia will lock horns in the first of the three ODI series at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.