Manjrekar Torches Pakistan Boycott Threat: ‘Let Them Walk, We Need Real Competition’
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The noise surrounding the February 15 showdown between India and Pakistan at the 2026 T20 World Cup just hit a wall of indifference from one of India’s loudest voices. With Pakistan threatening to boycott the Group A clash in Colombo, former batter Sanjay Manjrekar didn’t just shrug off the potential forfeit—he welcomed it, labeling the once-storied rivalry a mismatch of “earth and sky.”
The “Minnow” Label
While fans and broadcasters usually circle this date in red ink, Manjrekar argues the on-field product no longer justifies the hysteria. His assessment is brutal: the gap between the Men in Blue and their arch-rivals has widened so drastically that a Pakistan forfeit is barely a blip on India’s radar.
India enters the tournament as defending champions, riding the high of their 2024 title run and a dominant 2025 Asia Cup campaign. In contrast, Pakistan’s cricket stock has plummeted, highlighted by a humiliating first-round exit in the last World Cup. The numbers back Manjrekar’s skepticism. India has won the last eight meetings across all formats and boasts a suffocating 15-1 record against Pakistan in World Cups.
“India-Pakistan match, if it doesn’t happen, no big deal. Honestly, for a long time now, the actual game never lives up to the hype… Now when India beats Pakistan, it’s almost like India is beating the minnows.” — Sanjay Manjrekar (via Instagram)
He didn’t stop there. Pointing to the systemic issues plaguing Pakistan cricket, Manjrekar compared the talent pipelines of the two nations, noting that the “young players coming through the Indian system versus the Pakistan system” represents a fundamental mismatch.
Boycott? No Sweat for the Champs
The stakes of a forfeit are technically high—India would be awarded a win, and Pakistan would suffer a massive Net Run Rate (NRR) penalty. But for Manjrekar, the points are secondary to the prestige. He insists that for the modern Indian fan, the real measuring stick isn’t Pakistan anymore. It’s the heavyweights: Australia, England, New Zealand, and South Africa.
“Those are the teams India needs to beat for us to feel proud,” Manjrekar asserted. “It won’t bring the value of the tournament down. It’s the other four teams that matter.”
The View From the Press Box
Having covered multiple ICC events, the shift in atmosphere is palpable. Ten years ago, a boycott threat would have sent sponsors and organizers into a panic. Today, with India’s dominance so absolute—they beat Pakistan three times in the 2025 Asia Cup alone—the threat feels less like a crisis and more like a procedural hiccup. The rivalry that once stopped nations now struggles to produce a competitive hour of cricket.
