Former India Cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has criticised the Indian Premier League's batting-friendly batting conditions, arguing they have left Indian batters ill-equipped to handle challenging oversees pitches following India's recent T20I setbacks.
India's batting struggled in seaming and bowler-friendly conditions during the ongoing T20 series, reigniting the debate over whether performances in the IPL accurately reflect a player's ability to succeed in international cricket, particularly outside the subcontinent.
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Reflecting on India's recent defeat, the 61-year-old said that responsibility should extend beyond the players and include those involved in shaping the domestic ecosystem and selection process.
"The easiest thing to do for India would be to sack Gautam Gambhir, sack the captain, sack some of the players who didn't perform well in Ireland and England. That would be the easy thing to do," Manjrekar stated in a video on his Instagram page.
"The right thing to do would be to identify the main reason for India's setback. And the main reason is that these T20 matches were played in Ireland and England, in overseas conditions," Manjrekar added.
Manjrekar then states that the nature of IPL pitches, where high-scoring contests have become very common in the recent seasons of the league, can create a misleading picture of a player's readiness for international cricket.
Several venues in recent IPL seasons have witnessed totals well in excess of 200, with flat pitches and shorter boundaries often favouring batters.
Manjrekar also questioned the selection criteria, suggesting that excessive reliance on IPL performances has affected India's preparation for overseas conditions.
"Our batters and our team were poorly prepared for these conditions. Why? Because the selectors actually picked all these players based on their IPL performances," he pointed out.
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He added that performances in the IPL should not be the sole measure of a player's T20 credentials, particularly when conditions overseas offer greater assistance to bowlers.
"So you don't really know which player will do well when there is something there for the bowlers. And it's not as easy as batting on a marble sheet as it's in the IPL."
And that is where the selectors need to be smart and pick people like Shubham Gill, who will succeed in Ireland, England, everywhere as a T20 batter," Manjrekar concluded.
His remarks add to the growing discussion around whether India's domestic T20 structure and selection policies are adequately preparing players for the demands of international cricket, especially in conditions where pace, swing and seam movement play a much bigger role.
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