When India beats Pakistan, it is almost like beating the minnows: Sanjay Manjrekar

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has stated that if the group stage game between India and Pakistan doesn’t happen, it’s not a big deal since the game doesn’t live up to the hype and drama anymore. 

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Speaking on his official Instagram handle, Manjrekar reckoned that it feels like India is beating minnows every time they win against the Men In Green. Notably, his comments came right after Pakistan decided to boycott the India game in the showpiece event.

"India-Pakistan match, if it does not happen, no big deal. Honestly, for a long time now, the actual game has never lived up to the hype and the drama we built up before the match. And the reason for that is obvious. It's that India and Pakistan are not in the same league anymore. Earlier, in the 90s and before, it was fun because Pakistan was a strong team. But not anymore. Now, when India beats Pakistan, it is almost like India is beating the minnows. Earlier, you could have felt good on beating Pakistan," Manjrekar said on his Instagram handle.

"That's how Pakistan cricket has deteriorated. I saw that in the Asia Cup as well. You just have to compare the young players that come through the Indian cricket system versus the Pakistan cricket system. It's the difference between the earth and the sky," he added.

"If India-Pakistan does not happen in this world event, it is not a big deal because you still have Australia, England, New Zealand, and South Africa. Those are the matches to watch, and those are the teams that India needs to beat for us to feel proud about this Indian team. I think it is a non-event and is not going to bring down the value of the tournament," he concluded.

The defending champions, India, are placed in Group A alongside Namibia, the Netherlands, the USA, and Pakistan. They will play their opening game against the USA on Saturday, February 7.

India squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

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Pakistan squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.

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