Ex-IND Pacer Dodda Ganesh slams RCB for not using Manoj Bhandage in the IPL

Manoj Bhandage started the Maharaja Trophy T20 tournament with two cracking knocks.

Former Indian pacer Dodda Ganesh hailed 25-year-old Karnataka all-rounder Manoj Bhandage and slammed the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for not using his services in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

RCB had signed Bhandage for INR 20 lacs at the IPL 2023 auction. But the all-rounder warmed the bench for two consecutive seasons. He has been pretty effective with the bat and the ball in the shortest format in domestic cricket.

In the ongoing Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2024, while playing for Mysore Warriors, Bhandage has played two brilliant knocks in two outings as a finisher. He also won the Player of the Match award against Shivamogga Lions. In two games, he has scored 100 runs without getting dismissed at a blistering strike rate of 204.08.

Dodda Ganesh slammed RCB for not giving a game to Bhandage

Manoj Bhandage, who bats down the order, played an inning of 42* off 16 in the first game. He followed it up with a 33-ball 58 not out in the second game. He has a full range of strokes, which he displayed in these two matches.

The IPL 2024 offered great batting conditions early on, which could have given the 25-year-old a great platform to introduce himself at this level. However, he didn’t get a single chance. When he did get opportunities in the Maharaja T20 KSCA 2024, he grabbed it with both hands.

His performances impressed everyone and fans lauded the all-rounder for his power-hitting. Even former Indian pacer Dodda Ganesh also reacted to one of the fans’ tweets and slammed RCB for not giving Manoj a chance in two seasons.

Ganesh tweeted, “I’ve been harping about him from 2 seasons now. But the @RCBTweets benched him for 2 editions straight and didn’t give him a game. Not even as an impact substitute. Manoj Bhandage is one of the clean strikers of the cricket ball. Hope some franchise gives him the opportunity.”

Meanwhile, the all-rounder felt lucky to be part of RCB. In a discussion with Cricket.com, Manoj said that despite not playing a game, it was a great opportunity for him because he was sharing the dressing room with some of the greats of the game.

He said that experience helped him grow and it is benefiting him in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2024 tournament. He will be back in action on August 18 when Mysore Warriors take on Gulbarga Mystics.

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