Sanjay Manjrekar has heaped praise on the performance of the Indian women’s cricket squad at the just-ended Commonwealth Games 2022. He went on to say that the defeat in the championship match at the hands of the formidable Australian team could not be characterized as choking.
In the match for the gold medal at the quadrennial games, which took place on Sunday, August 7, the Women in Blue held the Australian team to 161/8. Unfortunately for them, they ended up losing the match by a score of nine runs, and as a result, they had to settle for a respectable silver medal.
A special moment for the Indian Women's Cricket Team as they bring home the first ever silver medal🥈 for India in CWG Cricket.
They showed outstanding sportsmanship & dedication throughout.
Best wishes to all team members.#Cheer4India🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/7Lm5rT8keI
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) August 8, 2022
What did Sanjay Manjrekar say?
Manjrekar was asked this question during a chat on the Sports 18 program titled “Sports Over the Top.” The host wanted to know whether the Indian team’s defeat made it seem as if they were the chokers of the women’s game or if they were from South Africa. He responded with an unfavorable response, stating:
“You people are so hard. My ideas and observations are sometimes seen as being quite harsh, but I must say that you guys have really surpassed me in this regard. Be kind, because I believe the Indian women’s team has performed quite well and would appreciate it.”
On the other hand, Manjrekar believes that the Indian women’s squad has been trending in the right direction over the last few years. The former batter for the Indians explained:
“If you look at the chain for women’s cricket, Australia is now in the first place, followed by England, New Zealand, and India in that order. However, it is clear to everyone watching these Commonwealth Games, as well as those who have been paying attention over the last several months, that India has made significant progress.”
While there can be no shame in losing to the greatest cricket team ever, this was another reminder of how the Indian Women’s team is capable of consistently delivering must-watch television on the biggest stages. High time they got their own stage to do so now #INDvAUS #B2002
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) August 7, 2022
In the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games, Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates defeated England by a score of four runs. They, on the other hand, were unsuccessful against Meg Lanning’s team both times they met each other, despite being in positions that seemed to give them an advantage.
In conclusion, Manjrekar observed that the women’s Indian Premier League (IPL) would assist the Indian team in checking off the previously unchecked boxes. He observed that the event needed to provide the selectors with a greater number of choices from which to pick, in particular concerning the middle-order batting positions and the bowling department.
