Sanjay Manjrekar questions CSK management, asks for clarity on Dhoni
Three weeks into the tournament, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have yet to give any clarity on MS Dhoni’s situation. Sanjay Manjrekar, speaking on Sportstar’s podcast, hit out at the CSK management for handling the situation “very badly”. As the uncertainty lingers, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has hit out at CSK for their handling of the situation. “And then that thing with M.S. Dhoni — whether he’s going to be playing, whether he’s going to be captain — they handled that very badly. And this is where you see the sycophancy of Indian culture that has seeped into cricket as well. I mean, there isn’t just a fan following of Dhoni, there is sycophancy around it.”
In Dhoni’s absence, Chennai had a terrible start. After losing the first three games and winning two on the bounce, they lost again. Manjrekar, however, defended the CSK skipper and blamed the management for the team’s current situation. “This blame, I’m going to put at the doorstep of the owners and people who make the big decisions. Because Gaikwad, before he was captain, was phenomenal at the top of the order,” he said.
Rashid Khan declines Indian citizenship offer
Rashid Khan said he received citizenship offers from India and Australia but turned them down because of his love for Afghanistan. According to PTI, in a book based on Rashid’s rise (‘Rashid Khan: From Streets to Stardom’), he said, “I received such offers from both Australia and India. But I told them, ‘If I don’t play for my country, I won’t play for any other country either.’”
The approach came from India during the IPL 2023 when he was a mainstay of Gujarat Titans. Rashid recalled that he met a high-ranking official from the Indian cricket board who offered him Indian citizenship. Rashid said, “I went over and greeted him. We started talking, and he said: ‘The situation in your country is very bad. Come stay in India. We will give you Indian documents, live here, play cricket here.’ I was surprised by what he was saying and didn’t know how to respond.”
PSL bans Dasun Shanaka for one season
Dasun Shanaka became the third player to be banned from participating in the PSL after Blessing Muzarabani and Corbin Bosch. The PSL banned him for one season for allegedly breaching the agreement with Lahore Qalandars by opting out of the PSL and joining the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026. A PCB statement said the decision was made after a “comprehensive review”. Shanaka, according to the board’s statement, was found to have withdrawn unilaterally, which “constituted a clear breach of both the player registration terms and the tripartite agreement”.
“I deeply regret my decision to withdraw from the PSL and offer my sincere apologies to the people of Pakistan, the fans of PSL, and the wider cricket community,” Shanaka was quoted as saying in the PCB’s statement. “I must clarify that at the time I withdrew from the PSL I had no intention of joining any other tournament. I have the greatest respect for Pakistani fans and have always enjoyed my time in Pakistan. I hope to return to the PSL in the future with renewed dedication and the trust of the fans.”
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