NEW DELHI: Ahead of next month’s Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka, a T20I tri-series also featuring India and Bangladesh, former India batsman turned television analyst
Sanjay Manjrekar has backed the home team to spring a few surprises.
“Currently Sri Lanka are going through a mild crisis. It is a team that’s looking like minnows now. That there are currently around 23 teams at the domestic level playing inter-provincial cricket in such a small country is not helping matters either,” wrote Manjrekar, who played 74 ODIs and 37 Tests, in his column for TOI. “I guess one still has to place trust in the fact that it is a country that loves cricket, may be not as passionately or single-mindedly as Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, but cricket is still a very popular sport there. Icons like Sangakkara and Jayawardene and Murali will inspire young kids to take up cricket and excel at it.
“A smaller format gives a greater chance for a weaker team to challenge even the best in business _ the Nidahas Trophy is one such opportunity. Expect Sri Lanka to spring a few surprises in this T20 triangular.”
From Sri Lanka’s squad, Manjrekar singled out two players in wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella and all-sorts spinner Akila Dhananjaya as pivotal to the home team’s chances of success not just in the Nidahas Trophy but for the long run.
“I like the look of Niroshan Dickwella - he is the latest in this amazing ‘keeper-batsmen lineage that Sri Lanka have had over the years. He has an attitude that’s different from the rest and will help counter the defeatist mood a team can get into when it’s in a rut,” wrote the 52-year-old. “Dhananjaya is another incredible talent. He again has good attitude and skills that will boggle your mind. Yes, he is your complete modern day spinner, he bowls offspin, legspin and a googly all in one over. He is what R Ashwin is trying to be in T20 cricket.”
The 2018 Nidahas Trophy runs from March 6 to 18 in Sri Lanka. India play the first game of the tri-series versus Sri Lanka.