‘Rahane needs to go back to domestic cricket’ – Sanjay Manjrekar blasts senior batter for poor show
Ajinkya Rahane, Sanjay Manjrekar (Image source: Getty Images)
Former India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane finds himself in a very tricky position. The senior batter has been going through a lean patch and has been miserable with the bat in the last couple of years. He was also removed as the vice-captain of the side, with the board hinting at what is in store for the senior batter in future. Many experts had called for his exclusion from the Indian squad for the South Africa tour but Virat Kohli backed him for the series. Unfortunately, he couldn’t change his fortunes and delivered another below-par performance.
cricketer turned expert Sanjay Manjrekar has had enough of Rahane and blasted him for consistent failures. Majrekar said that Rahane needs to go back to domestic cricket in order to regain his form.
“He needs to go back and play first-class cricket and hopefully get his mojo back. I would not give Rahane another innings. Pujara has a stronger case in my book”, said Manjrekar while speaking to ESPNcricinfo.
“Nothing about Rahane in the last 3-4 years gives me hope that he is coming back into form. There have been glimmers when he got a hundred in Melbourne. But, apart from that, nothing much,” the former Mumbai batter added.
Rahane has been below par for a while now. Barring a hundred in Melbourne, he has looked pretty ordinary. Last year in 2021, he could only manage 547 runs from 15 matches at an average of just 20.25. He was dismissed in single-digit scores in 11 innings of those 15 games.
Meanwhile, the Cape Town Test is slipping away from the Indians. Chasing 212 to win, South Africa have wiped out 145 runs, with Keegan Petersen still going strong at 74. South Africa need 67 more runs to win the game and series.
