From KL Rahul to Kuldeep Yadav, Checkout Sanjay Manjrekar’s best Playing XI for IND vs PAK
The Indian cricket team’s former player and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar recently picked up his best playing XI for the Indian cricket team ahead of their first match of the continental tournament, Asia Cup 2023. The Indian cricket team will play their first match against the archrivals Pakistan on 2 September in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Currently, the Indian cricket team squad has gathered together at the national cricket Academy (NCA) to pass the famous yo-yo fitness test in Bengaluru before they travel together to Sri Lanka for the tournament.
The Indian Cricket Board recently announced India’s 17 man squad for the Asia Cup with Sanju Samson as the substitute. Sanjay Manjrekar picked his Best Playing XI while exclusively talking to ESPNcricinfo. Sanjay Manjrekar picked Captain Rohit Sharma and youngsters Shubman Gill to be the opening batsmen, with legendary batsman, Virat Kohli coming in at number three.
Manjrekar solved India’s number four woes by inviting KL Rahul as a number fourth batsman and wicket-keeper, and went on with 3 seamers and 2 spinners with Shreyas or Tilak to be selected accordingly.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s India’s Best Playing XI
“My three seamers would be Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami. Hardik Pandya would be my fourth seamer. My spinners would be (Ravindra) Jadeja and Kuldeep (Yadav). My opener would be Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma. No. 3 batter would be Virat Kohli. KL Rahul would play because he is the keeper,” said Sanjay Manjrekar.
“Either Shreyas Iyer or Tilak Varma could play (in the middle-order). I am saying this because in India’s first-choice side XI, the first seven (six) batters, including Hardik Pandya, are all right-handers. Somewhere, India will have to fit in a left-hander in Tilak Varma. This is a problem India has,” added Sanjay Manjrekar.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s best XI vs Pakistan: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer/ Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
