Sanjay Manjrekar

Picture Credit: Twitter

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar was one of the most solid batsmen during his playing days. However, his career in the commentary hasn't earned him too much fan following as he would have expected. The 56-year-old is a veteran when it comes to broadcasting and his technical knowledge about the game adds a lot to what he brings to the table. But his tendency to make controversial statements on air often gets him a lot of criticism.

From terming Jadeja as 'bits and pieces' cricketer to questioning Ashwin's status as one of the all-time greats, fans do not usually enjoy Manjrekar's outspoken opinions. Another example of the same was on display once again on Wednesday when the commentator took a sly dig at Kuldeep Yadav, which was not at all appreciated by the Indian fans.

What did Manjrekar say about Kuldeep?

Ahead of the 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka, as many as 8 Indian players were unavailable for selection after they were deemed to be in close contact with Krunal Pandya, who had tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the Men in Blue had to name all the remaining players in the playing XI on Wednesday. It included 4 debutants with Nitish Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devdutt Padikkal and Chetan Sakariya getting their T20I caps.

Nitish Rana was handed his cap by his KKR teammate Kuldeep Yadav. Reflecting on the same, Manjrekar said, "I am surprised a player who himself stays in and out of the team is handing the debut cap." The comments by the 56-year-old on one of India's most experienced player in that squad did not please the Indian fans.

Manjrekar's comment leads to fans' outburst on Twitter

The fans were quick to point out that Manjrekar's comment on Kuldeep was not acceptable at all. While some claimed that BCCI should ban the commentator permanently from the panel, the others suggested that they would prefer to mute rather than listening to his commentary. One Twitter user also added that Kuldeep has 21 T20I appearances to his name, which should be enough to hand someone else a national cap.

Here are the reactions: