Indian cricket still struggles to take tough calls on big names, says Sanjay Manjrekar

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar felt that Yashasvi Jaiswal was unfortunate to be left out of the ODI squad for the England tour, especially after scoring his second century in his last three outings. The decision has once again shifted the spotlight onto Rohit Sharma and his future with the Indian team.

Rohit was removed as India’s ODI captain following the Champions Trophy 2025, although he has expressed his desire to continue playing until the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir have remained non-committal whenever questioned about his future.

Jaiswal made his ODI debut against England last year after Virat Kohli suffered an injury. He then capitalised on another opportunity when Shubman Gill was sidelined with an injury, scoring his maiden ODI century against South Africa.

“He has two hundreds in the last three ODIs. Yes, a bit harsh on Yashasvi Jaiswal. I’ll only say this on the issue that if the selectors have picked Rohit for this ODI squad, then I hope it’s a long-term decision where they sort of expect Rohit to be part of the 2027 World Cup. That has to be the only reason for him to be included. Because we don’t want to be assessing Rohit’s performance in the next 18 or 19 ODIs before the World Cup starts. I just hope the selectors have long-term plans with Rohit. Otherwise, that place should have been given to somebody else,” said Manjrekar as quoted by the New Indian Express.

Manjrekar said that making tough decisions on senior stars has never been straightforward in Indian cricket. He argued that the selectors need to be clear about Rohit’s role going forward. If they are backing him, it should be because they see him as part of India’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup. If that is not the case, then it raises a much bigger question about the team’s direction and selection policy.

“There is a certain culture that we have, and we have not been able to shake it off. When it comes to big name senior players, it’s never as simple as taking a decision based on solid cricketing merit. And that clearly has come into play with Rohit, and this is something that plagues Indian cricket. It’s just about the selectors believing whether Rohit can be your opening batter for the 2027 World Cup,” said Manjrekar.

“And that is what was in their mind, they should have said, and that is why we are selecting him. If they’re just picking him because they’re not courageous enough to drop him right now, then it is something that has happened in our Indian cricket culture forever, with all the big names. You talk about clarity, that will only happen when the whole culture of India changes. It’s just how we handle our big-name iconic players. We just can’t remain clinical. It’s always about what’s good for this guy, and the individual is thought about a lot. When it comes to selection, you must always think what’s best for Indian cricket, rather than what’s best for Virat Kohli, or what’s best for Rohit Sharma, what’s best for Bumrah, or anyone,” he added.