Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar Picture Credit: Getty Images

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar wasn't a happy man with how the latest edition of the Indian Premier League unfolded. He expressed his annoyance with the bizarre turnarounds that have happened in many of the matches of the cash-rich league in the 2021 season.

Manjrekar reckons that this has been the "most frustrating" season of the competition. He cited players past their prime and those with "ordinary abilities" as reasons for the same. Manjrekar had made these comments after Kolkata Knight Riders had registered a thrilling final-over win against Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2.

You wonder whether the out-of-form players belong here: Manjrekar

Notably, the match had looked done and dusted in favour of KKR but a dramatic collapse from 123-1 to 130-7 helped DC back in the match. In the end, Kolkata needed 6 runs from 2 deliveries and it needed a magic six from Rahul Tripathi to help them reach the finals.

"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," he said in an ESPNCricinfo video.

"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," he added.

CSK lift their fourth IPL title

KKR eventually missed out on an opportunity to win their third IPL title as they lost to the Chennai Super Kings in the final on Friday. While Eoin Morgan won the toss and invited CSK to have a bat first, the Men in Yellow posted 192/3. In response, Kolkata got off to a great start but suffered yet another collapse from which they could not recover and fell 27 runs short.

Faf du Plessis was adjudged the Player of the Match for his 86 from 59 balls while Ruturaj Gaikwad bagged the Orange Cap for the season.