Overview
- Sanjay Manjrekar told the Sportstar podcast on Tuesday that IPL franchises should pick the best captain available regardless of nationality and prioritise leadership over birthplace.
- Manjrekar singled out Indian captains who have struggled this season, naming Axar Patel and Rishabh Pant while some outlets also listed Ruturaj Gaikwad and Hardik Pandya as examples of uneven 2026 campaigns.
- He pointed to successful overseas leaders such as David Warner and Pat Cummins to argue that foreign players can captain IPL sides effectively.
- Manjrekar acknowledged that franchises often favour Indian captains for commercial reasons because a homegrown skipper becomes the public face of the team and boosts brand value.
- There are no signs franchises have changed policies yet; the comments have reopened a debate that could prompt teams to weigh short-term marketing benefits against on-field leadership when naming captains and to watch for any midseason captaincy shifts.