IPL 2020 not to have Sanjay Manjrekar as commentator after BCCI snubs him again: Report

Sanjay Manjrekar is one of the most experienced commentators in the cricket world and began his innings behind the mic post his retirement from cricket in 1996. But his career took a hit after the BCCI dropped him from its commentary panel back in March. Before the removal, Manjrekar had landed himself in hot waters calling India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja a “bits-and-pieces” player during the 2019 World Cup and then getting involved in an on-air spat with Harsha Bhogle during India’s first-ever Day/Night Test against Bangladesh in October.

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Back in March, an unnamed BCCI official told Mumbai Mirror that the esteemed former cricketer is excluded from its commentary panel because of the fact that BCCI is not happy with his work. Till date, Manjrekar's former teammate and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has refused to comment on the revocation of Sanjay Majrekar from the BCCI/IPL commentary team.

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Following his ouster, Sanjay Manjrekar had written that he always considered commentary as a privilege and stated that it was up to his employers whether they choose to have him or not and he will always respect that. However, recent reports suggest that Manjrekar's return to commentary will have to wait after being not considered for the IPL 2020 commentary panel. 

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Sanjay Manjrekar excluded from IPL 2020 commentary panel 

A report published in Mumbai Mirror stated that the former cricketer's hopes of getting back into BCCI’s commentary team have taken a hit after the board rejected his request by not including him in its list of shortlisted commentators for the IPL 2020.

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The report states that Sanjay Manjrekar had written to the BCCI last Saturday for the second time, requesting the board to reinstate him for commentary duties during the IPL 2020. While the BCCI has approached the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, L Sivaramakrishnan, Murali Kartik, Harsha Bhogle and those from overseas through e-mail, seeking their availability for the upcoming IPL 2020, no such mail was sent to Manjrekar, which has closed the door on his commentary return anytime soon. The final call is said to lie with Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah. Shah also hasn't commented on this issue officially.

IPL Dates: When will the IPL 2020 take place?

The BCCI recently revealed the IPL dates according to which that the IPL 2020 will take place from September 19, with the final scheduled for November 10. The IPL 2020 was earlier scheduled for a March 29 start but BCCI President Sourav Ganguly decided to postpone the tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from new IPL dates, the tournament will also see a new timing for its matches, with afternoon matches beginning on 3:30 PM IST and evening matches scheduled for 7:30 PM IST.

(COVER IMAGE: SANJAY MANJREKAR / IPL / TWITTER)