Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar reckons Yuvraj Singh was in a different league whereas Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja aren’t quite there. Yuvraj had played an instrumental role in taking India to 2011 ODI World Cup glory, despite battling with cancer during the tournament.
Yuvraj scored 362 runs in eight innings at an unbelievable average of 90.50 and a strike rate of 86.19, including four fifties and one hundred in the ODI showpiece. Furthermore, the left-arm orthodox spinner scalped 15 wickets in nine matches at an average of 25.13 and delivered the job for the MS Dhoni-led team.
On the other hand, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja are also doing a fine job for the Indian team. Pandya scored a fine knock of 87 runs in the group stage match against Pakistan whereas Jadeja has improved his batting manifolds in recent years.
Former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis showered praise on Pandya and Jadeja for being consistent performers for Team India.
“Look at what Hardik and Jadeja bring to the table. They are well equipped with both bat and ball. Especially Hardik Pandya – the way he batted against Pakistan – I think he is a really destructive batter at No. 6. Any team would love to have someone like him. He is aggressive, and now as we saw in the previous match, he is very sensitive and smart,” Waqar Younis told Star Sports.
Manjrekar tipped Yuvraj Singh as India’s best white-ball batter and feels Pandya and Jadeja aren’t quite in the same league.
“Yuvraj is arguably India’s best white-ball batter. He could win games and was in a different league. Hardik and Jadeja, with due respect, aren’t quite there. These two are far better bowlers than Yuvraj Singh, but because of that, one discipline was so disciplined,” Manjrekar countered.
Manjrekar added that Hardik Pandya’s 10 overs aren’t a guarantee every time he plays because of his workload and thus he considers him as a batting all-rounder.
“He has the potential but when I see him at this stage, it’s not a guarantee that he will come and bowl all 10 overs like one of the mainstream bowlers. I see him as more of a batting all-rounder and he batted really well in the last game,” Manjrekar said.
“So yes, they have this combined skill to make the kind of contribution made but one discipline of Yuvraj Singh, like I said, was at a different level. In pitches that help Jadeja the bowler, his batting will come through but Hardik the batter doesn’t need a bad ball or loose ball to decide that this needs to go,” he added.
India will resume their Super Fours stage match on 147-2 against Pakistan on Monday after rain stopped play on Sunday.
