‘Lots of Indians are struggling’: Sanjay Manjrekar bats for more foreign captains in IPL

Sanjay Manjrekar, Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has backed the appointment of more overseas captains in the Indian Premier League (IPL), stressing that franchises should focus on leadership rather than nationality when selecting their captain.Speaking on the Sportsstar podcast, Manjrekar said the performances of Indian captains in recent seasons show that nationality alone does not guarantee success. “I think we have also seen a lot of Indian captains playing. You mentioned players like Axar Patel and Rishabh Pant. There have been quite a few Indian captains who have not quite made it,” Manjrekar said.The former batsman believes that T20 cricket requires teams to identify the most effective leader available, regardless of whether the player is from India or overseas.“My philosophy is simple: in T20 cricket, you need the best captain available. If it happens to be a foreign player, then yes. David Warner has been a successful captain, Pat Cummins has done it too,” he said.At the same time, Manjrekar acknowledged that IPL franchises often consider commercial considerations along with cricketing factors when deciding on a captain.“That said, there is a non-cricket reason why franchises often prefer Indian captains. The Indian captain becomes the face of the franchise and strengthens the brand,” he explained.According to Manjrekar, teams need to strike the right balance between building a strong brand and maximizing their chances of success on the pitch.“At the end of the day, franchises have to decide what’s better for the brand and what’s better for winning titles. Ideally, the captain should be someone who is a really good leader, regardless of nationality,” he said. He further highlighted the unique role captaincy plays in shaping the public image of the franchise and the fans. “But let’s not forget that IPL is also about brand equity. An Indian captain naturally attracts more attention. Having someone like Rishabh Pant associated with the franchise or Virat Kohli, who has led RCB in the past, creates a different dynamic and gives the team a stronger identity.”Manjrekar’s comments are likely to reignite the debate over whether IPL teams should prioritize leadership credentials or marketing value when selecting their captains.