Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar was an Indian cricketer who was known for his astute batting technique. He played his first Test for India in 1987 on the back of some strong performances in the domestic circuit. He averaged a mammoth 55.11 in first-class cricket. However, he was never quite able to replicate this on the international tours.

Manjrekar’s first international century came in 1988-89 against the fearsome bowling quartet of the West Indies in Bridgetown, Barbados – a ground on which India have an extremely poor record even to date. To make things sweeter for himself, he went on to score a century and a double century in Pakistan against the likes of Wasim Akran, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan and spinner Abdul Qadir. In the process, he helped India draw the series. He cemented his position in the formidable Indian batting line up with these incredible performances. After this however, Manjrekar was never really able to touch such heights again. In 1991-92, he had a disastrous tour of Australia where he was not able to adjust to the bounce and pace on the wickets. His poor performances continued in South Africa. His next international century came after a three year hiatus against Zimbabwe, which helped India draw the Test and save them from humiliation. He ended his career with only four international centuries to his name in Test cricket.

Following his retirement, Manjrekar took to commentary and compering on television. He is often seen in pre-match shows as a pundit or live on air. Apart from just commentary, he pursued a career in music as well and has recorded a music album.