Former India cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to examine the root causes behind India's disappointing T20I tour of Ireland and England instead of taking what he described as the "easy" route of removing head coach Gautam Gambhir or captain Shreyas Iyer. His remarks came after India suffered a 0-2 series defeat in Ireland followed by a 0-4 whitewash against England, triggering criticism of the team's preparation and selection.

Speaking in a video shared on social media, Manjrekar argued that dismissing the coach or captain would not address the underlying issues that contributed to India's poor performances. He said the real concern was that the team had been inadequately prepared for the playing conditions in Ireland and England, where seam movement and assistance for bowlers posed challenges very different from those encountered during the Indian Premier League (IPL).

According to Manjrekar, the national selectors relied heavily on IPL performances while choosing the squad, despite the tournament being played on batting-friendly pitches that do not accurately reflect overseas conditions. He said the IPL environment often creates a misleading impression of a batter's capabilities, making it difficult to judge how players will perform on pitches that offer greater assistance to bowlers.

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The former batter criticised the nature of IPL pitches, describing them as among the easiest batting surfaces he had seen. He argued that such conditions allow top-order batters to accumulate runs without facing the challenges encountered in international cricket abroad. Manjrekar stressed that selectors should identify players capable of adapting successfully to varying conditions rather than relying solely on domestic franchise performances.

He also cited Shubman Gill as an example of the type of player who could perform consistently across different countries and conditions in the T20 format. Manjrekar maintained that India's selection process should place greater emphasis on adaptability, technique and performances under challenging circumstances rather than focusing primarily on statistics from high-scoring IPL matches.

Manjrekar concluded by suggesting that the BCCI should instead scrutinise those responsible for promoting batting-friendly conditions in the IPL, arguing that such pitches have distorted player evaluation and impacted India's preparedness for overseas assignments. His comments have added to the ongoing debate over India's recent T20I struggles and the broader question of whether domestic cricket conditions adequately prepare players for the demands of international competition.

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