Sanjay Manjrekar bats for 5 overseas players in the playing eleven from IPL 2022

The Indian Premier League will be featuring 10 teams from the 2022 season onwards. With two more teams being added to the star cast, former Indian cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar believes that the teams should be allowed to field 5 overseas players instead of the complement of 4 that is currently allowed.

“If IPL is going with 10 teams then you got to have five foreign players per side,” said Manjrekar, speaking to ESPNCricinfo. “Despite that, you will have 10 Indian players playing in the XI. They are a lot of Indian players.”

Manjrekar vindicated his views by saying that despite allowing an extra foreign player, there won’t be any dearth of spots for the Indian talent. “When there was no IPL, T20, or 50-over cricket, only 13-14 players in the 70s or 80s played at the highest level and that’s where you got the cream of Indian players playing,” he added. "You already have plenty of Indian players and it is a shame to see some quality foreign players sitting out only because they can’t play more than four. So even if we go five foreign players, plenty of Indian players will get the opportunity," he further said.

“I don’t think it will add pressure that organizers feel that this is an Indian Premier League and got to have more and more Indian players and less foreign players. 60 is plenty,” he concluded.

[Hindustan Times input]