I don’t understand how captaincy is given to young guns like Pant & Samson – Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar wants franchises to appoint specialist cricketers as captains to get the best out of ordinary players in the IPL. He gave the example of MS Dhoni and Eoin Morgan who have failed as players but their teams have reached the finale of IPL 2021. While MS Dhoni’s CSK defeated DC in Qualifier 1 to make it to the title clash, Eoin Morgan’s team thumped the same team in Qualifier 2 to book its place in the most important match of the tournament.

In a chat with ESPNcricinfo, Sanjay Manjrekar was asked whether DC should stick with Pant as their captain for IPL 2022. The former player replied that it was beyond his understanding how young players like Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson were elected as skippers of IPL franchises.

“The two teams that have reached the finals have been led by two seasoned captains – Morgan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. I have come to this belief at the moment based on whatever I have seen in the IPL… I just wonder when you are looking at T20 specialist bowlers and batters and all-rounders, I think it’s time for us to also start looking for T20 specialist captains, you know, great T20 captains. It’s beyond me how T20 captaincy is given to a young Rishabh Pant, [he’s] still young cricket wise, young Shreyas Iyer or Sanju Samson.”

“I just don’t understand the basis of that call because T20 captaincy is tough, it has a great impact… so I believe you’ve got to have brilliant T20 captains captaining sides and then even an ordinary side, I mean, look at CSK they have major weaknesses there but Dhoni has been able to get the best out of his playing XI. And those are the kind of captains IPL teams deserve, captains who are brilliant and just by their leadership and tactics will make a difference.”