'I have provoked people': Sanjay Manjrekar reveals why he isn't part of IPL 2026 commentary panel

"You sort of go from one place to the other, and I was trying to kill time, and I was looking at my phone, you know, from my travel agent and he would send me those e-tickets. I said, 'Let me just count.' I had taken 46 flights that IPL. And then I said, 'This is... I have to restore some balance. So I have cut down on my travel a lot and focusing on a few important things that will give me, you know, better sort of life health-wise."

Sanjay Manjrekar does not want to "provoke" people

But there was a second reason, and Manjrekar delivered it with a degree of self-awareness that caught even his host off guard. He said that the viewers probably needed a break from him too.

"The other main reason is to give the viewers a little break as well from me," he added.

The host then followed up: "Yeah, they... they said that there's no one, you know, having a provoking thought in... in the comms box."

Manjrekar immediately picked up and added: "Maybe that's another reason why I'm not on the panel as well. Okay, I provoked people."

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The Cricket News Opinion: The IPL misses a voice that dared to disagree

Love him or not, Manjrekar brought something to the commentary box that is genuinely rare, an opinion he was willing to defend. Too much of modern cricket commentary has become comfortable, safe, and forgettable.

Whether he was right or wrong in a given moment mattered far less than the fact that he made people think and react. Hopefully, once he has found his balance, he will return. Cricket commentary is better with a few uncomfortable voices in the mix.

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