Sanjay Manjrekar addressed the controversies over his comments on Jadeja and Shami, emphasizing that they were mostly misunderstood.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s Controversial Remarks on Jadeja and Shami
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar reflected on his past controversies with Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami. Since retiring, he has built a long career in broadcasting and established himself as a familiar voice in commentary. However, his outspoken style has often landed him in controversy over the years.
One of Manjrekar’s most talked-about controversies came during the 2019 ODI World Cup when he described Jadeja as a “bits and pieces” cricketer. The remark did not sit well with Jadeja, who openly expressed his displeasure.
“I am not a big fan of bits and pieces players, which Jadeja is at this point in his career in 50-over cricket. In Test matches, he is a pure bowler. But in 50-over cricket, I would rather have a batsman and a spinner,” Manjrekar said on Times of India.
Jadeja reacted on social media and slammed the former cricketer.
“Still, I have played twice the number of matches you have played and I’m still playing. Learn to respect ppl who have achieved. I have heard enough of your verbal diarrhoea. @sanjaymanjrekar,” he added.
Ahead of IPL 2025, Manjrekar also raised doubts about whether Shami would attract big bids in the mega auction due to his recent injury crisis.
“There will definitely be interest from teams, but given Shami’s injury history—and this recent one took a significant amount of time to recover—there’s always a concern about a potential breakdown during the season. If a franchise invests heavily and then loses him mid-season, their options become limited. This concern might lead to a drop in his price tag,” Manjrekar said ahead of the auction.
However, Shami, who was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping INR 10 crore, lashed out at Manjrekar in an Instagram story.
“Baba ki jay hoooooo. Thodasa gyan apne future k lie bhi bacha loo kaam ayega Sanjay G? Kisi ko future janna ho to sir se mile [Jai to Baba. You should save some knowledge for your future too, it will be useful Sanjay G? If anyone wants to know about the future, meet sir],” he wrote on Instagram story.
“Jadeja’s controversy was more misunderstanding”
Meanwhile, Sanjay Manjrekar reflected on the controversies surrounding his comments on Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami, emphasizing that they were largely misunderstood. He clarified that Jadeja misinterpreted the term “bits and pieces,” while Shami’s reaction remained unclear to him.
“I think Jadeja was more misunderstanding; he thought ‘bits and pieces’ meant [he was] a cringe cricketer. I thought he misunderstood that term. And Shami—I have got no idea. Somebody told me he reacted, but I have no idea what the reaction was. That is how I keep it simple,” Manjrekar said on Stalin Mathias’ YouTube channel.
He admitted that earlier in his career, such controversies would affect him, but now he remains largely unfazed. “The best thing about these Tsunamis is that these kinds of controversies or reactions—48 hours later, they find something else to get upset about,” he added.
Manjrekar’s candid reflections highlight his perspective on media scrutiny and public reactions, showing a calmer approach to handling controversies that once dominated headlines.