Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar, now a cricket expert and commentator, has attributed India’s recent struggles in Test cricket to the “hero worship” of certain players. Manjrekar contends that India’s slump in Test performances is not a new phenomenon, pointing out similar setbacks in the past, such as the 0-4 losses to England and Australia during the 2011-12 away series.
In a column reflecting on India’s performance, Manjrekar, who provided commentary during the recently concluded five-match Test series against Australia, highlighted a recurring trend. He described it as a cyclical decline that affects Indian cricket roughly every 11 to 12 years. “It’s a phenomenon that befalls Indian cricket every 11-12 years, when the Test team’s performance takes a nosedive. India lost 0-4 to England and 0-4 to Australia in 2011-12. Twelve years later they have gone down to New Zealand 0-3 at home, and now, they have lost 1-3 to Australia. If not for the rains in Brisbane, the scoreline would have most likely read 1-4 after Australia had taken an almost 200-run lead in the first innings,” he wrote.
Sanjay Manjrekar referred to this recurring phase as a “generational slump,” which he believes is inevitable for all teams but particularly impactful for India. He attributed this to what he called the “icon culture” in Indian cricket, where certain players are held in high regard, often to the detriment of the team. “Be it 2011-12 or now, it’s the same scenario that gets played out—iconic players featuring prominently doing the opposite of what they did their entire careers, thereby dragging the team down with their diminished performances,” he remarked.
According to Manjrekar, the emotional attachment to iconic players complicates decision-making for selectors and other stakeholders. These emotions, he argued, influence critical calls about the future of established players, sometimes to the detriment of the team’s overall performance.
