Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar mocked coach Gautam Gambhir’s over-reliance on all-rounder Washington Sundar after the Suryakumar Yadav-led team suffered a crushing 76-run loss to South Africa in the Super 8 opener in Ahmedabad.
slaughter, India is the toughest in T20 World Cup historyleaving the defending champions on the brink of elimination and dealing a significant blow to their clean run. Tipped as favorites to become the first team to retain the title, India now find themselves in a must-win situation in their remaining matches.
Manjrekar objected to what he described as questionable tactical calls, notably Sundar’s promotion to No. 5 during India’s failed chase of 188 after a top-order collapse. The decision to pick Sundar over vice-captain Axar Patel has already attracted attention, with the team management claiming it was a purely tactical move.
Drawing a stark analogy, Manjrekar likened Sundar’s role in the side to the multipurpose Ayurvedic medicine.
“Kailasi Jeevan, there used to be a medicine with that name. If you had a headache, you would use it. If you had a stomach problem, you would take it. It was an all-in-one medicine. It seems Gautam Gambhir also has an all-in-one solution, Washington Sundar,” Manjrekar said on CNN-News18’s India Stump.
“If there’s a problem with the bat, Washi. If there’s a problem with the bowling, Washi. Today he went up the order at No. 5, and then Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya came in at No. 7. It was just too much,” he added.
South Africa exposed India’s struggles against changes of pace, with Lungi Ngidi effectively using the slower deliveries to disperse the batter. Manjrekar said the team needs to address this weakness, especially in the case of captain Suryakumar Yadav.
“Forget the fast balls, focus on playing the slower balls. They are not able to handle the slower balls or the spinners. The captain struggles the most with the slower deliveries,” he said.
India next face Zimbabwe in what is now a must-win as they look to keep their semi-final hopes alive. They will also need a sizeable win to repair the damage to their net speed after a heavy defeat in Ahmedabad.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 25, 2026
