Sanjay Manjrekar Slammed for Controversial On-Air Comment About ‘North ke players’ During Women’s T20 World Cup 2024

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Sanjay Manjrekar, a former India cricketer and now a commentator, once again found himself at the center of a social media storm following remarks made during the India vs New Zealand fixture in the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup 2024 in the UAE.

While on-air for the Hindi broadcast team, Manjrekar made an offhand comment regarding Munish Bali, the Indian women's team's fielding coach, that many fans perceived as dismissive and biased.

The controversy erupted when Manjrekar's fellow commentator introduced Bali as a former Punjab cricketer who transitioned to coaching roles with the U-19 men's team before joining the women's setup.

In response, Manjrekar said, "Sorry, I could not recognise him. North ke players ki taraf mera zyada dhyaan nahi hota (I don't pay much attention to the players from North India)." This remark sparked immediate outrage on social media.

Fans have been criticizing Manjrekar for what they saw as regional bias and a lack of knowledge about important figures in Indian cricket. Bali, a seasoned coach who has worked with top names like Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, hails from Punjab-the same state as Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women's team.

Many fans expressed disappointment that Manjrekar, a prominent figure in cricket commentary, seemed unaware of Bali's credentials and contributions to Indian cricket. Social media was quick to react, with some fans calling for Manjrekar to be removed from his commentary duties.

"Mumbai Lobby is a real thing!" one X (formerly Twitter) user said. Others pointed out that this isn't the first time Manjrekar has come under fire for his on-air comments. In 2019, he had to apologize after an unprofessional exchange with co-commentator Harsha Bhogle.

Additionally, his recent handling of an IPL toss ceremony also attracted criticism. Meanwhile, India faced a heavy 58-run defeat against New Zealand in their tournament opener, which added to the frustrations of fans. The Indian side struggled to chase New Zealand's total of 161, managing only 102 runs before being bowled out in 19 overs.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that the team didn't perform up to expectations but expressed optimism ahead of their next match against arch-rivals Pakistan. The match may have ended in disappointment for India, but Manjrekar's comments continued to dominate the post-match discussions.