Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has attributed Team India's disappointing batting performances in the recent T20I series against Ireland and England to the batting-friendly nature of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Rather than blaming individual players, Manjrekar believes the issue lies in the way the league prepares Indian batters, especially with more overseas T20 assignments on the horizon.
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Sanjay Manjrekar says IPL is creating a false picture of Indian batters
Reacting to India's disappointing tour of the United Kingdom, where the Men in Blue lost the two-match T20I series against Ireland before suffering a 4-0 defeat to England in the five-match series, Manjrekar urged selectors to look beyond IPL performances while picking squads for overseas conditions.
"The easy thing would be is to hold players responsible for this overseas T20 setback. The right thing would be is to hold those responsible who have made IPL such, that it puts a heavy make up on Indian batters."
The former India batter further argued that the IPL often creates an inflated perception of a player's batting ability due to its batter-friendly conditions. He added that selectors now face the challenge of identifying players who can succeed outside the comfort of Indian pitches as the team is set to play more T20 cricket overseas.
India's batting exposed during Ireland and England tour
India entered the tour as the defending T20 World Cup champions and also began a new era under captain Shreyas Iyer. However, the campaign turned into one to forget as the visitors struggled throughout with the bat.
The Men in Blue lost the T20I series in Ireland before being comprehensively beaten 4-0 by England, with the opening match of the series ending without a result due to rain. It also marked India's first defeat in a T20I series or tournament in three years.
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India's batters repeatedly found it difficult to counter seam movement and disciplined pace bowling in overseas conditions, prompting renewed debate over whether the IPL is adequately preparing players for international cricket outside the subcontinent. Manjrekar believes the focus should now shift towards addressing those structural concerns rather than placing the blame solely on the players.