"I am not concerned as long as India are finding different heroes" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Virat Kohli's form in 2024 T20 World Cup

Sanjay Manjrekar has said he's not too worried about star Team India batter Virat Kohli's batting form at the 2024 T20 World Cup. He pointed out how the Men in Blue have found new heroes in every match at the showpiece event.

Kohli was dismissed for a five-ball duck in the Super 8 match between India and Australia on Monday, June 24. Manjrekar highlighted that while the former skipper failed to get going, Rohit Sharma stood up to deliver a scintillating 92-run knock.

He also seemed quite impressed with Shivam Dube's batting exploits as the southpaw chipped in with a 28-run contribution. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo after India's 24-run win, Manjrekar said:

"I am not concerned as long as India are finding different heroes. Today, we found Rohit Sharma. I like how Shivam Dube is also chipping in. I know towards the end his innings lost a bit of steam, but I like the fact that he was trying to play with soft hands against Josh Hazlewood. So, I see growth in all the other players and that's what you want in a team."

Assessing Rohit's blistering knock, Manjrekar stated that the Indian skipper's main aim was not to bat for a long time, but he was more keen to provide his team with a flying start.

Lauding the captain for his selfless approach, the cricketer-turned-commentator added:

"Selfless is the greatest quality that he has as a leader. As batter, big name player, and there's always spotlight and expectation, and he's not worried about that, even when he wasn't getting the big scores. He's not out there to get a big score; he's just out there to make sure he gives the right amount of momentum to that Indian innings."

Rohit struck eight sixes and seven fours during his stay at the crease. His batting performance helped India register an imposing 205-run total in the encounter.

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"He's proven both of those facts" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Suryakumar Yadav silencing naysayers with impactful knock vs Australia

Sanjay Manjrekar also spoke about how some fans have criticized Suryakumar Yadav and questioned his ability to do the job in challenging conditions and against a quality side.

The 58-year-old suggested Suryakumar silenced his critics with his 16-ball 32-run knock against Australia and remarked in the same interaction:

"There's some talk and some sceptics saying is Suryakumar Yadav, that great player that he is, the 360-degree batter, on slightly tricking pitches big teams? I think he's proven both of those facts."

Manjrekar emphasized that Suryakumar's 360-degree shotmaking makes it incredibly challenging for the bowlers, adding:

"One ball today by a medium pacer that was outside the off stump finished at square-leg for four. That is what Suryakumar Yadav does, and when that happens, just imagine the psyche of the bowler. Then, a bowler pitches the ball up, and on a pitch where the ball wasn't coming as much and the pace was taken off, he hits one over long-off for a six."

India restricted Australia to 181/7 after 20 overs, completing an impressive 24-run win to advance to the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinals.