IPL 2022: "CSK should have no qualms in dropping Chris Jordan" - Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar wants Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to drop pacer Chris Jordan ahead of their IPL 2022 clash against Mumbai Indians on Friday. He said the franchise shouldn't give him more chances thinking that he'll improve on his short-term form.

Jordan, who in some sections is being seen as Dwayne Bravo's heir in the Super Kings' squad, hasn't lived up to those standards yet. He picked up two wickets on his debut against the Punjab Kings but has gone wicketless in the three matches since. The Englishman has an economy rate of 10.52 and has failed to be thrifty at crucial stages.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar pointed out that this poor form isn't an aberration but a continuation of his overall IPL figures. He said the Super Kings should consider their options. He believes, at the very least, they won't be more expensive than Jordan. He said:

"When you see a player's form, people think he has played just two-three matches. But that's just this season. He's been playing for a long time for a lot of franchises and his IPL performances have been the same always. They've bowled very few economical or game-changing spells."

Manjrekar added:

"So they should have no qualms in dropping Chris Jordan because his long-standing performance in the IPL isn't great. They have (Dwaine) Pretorius, (Mohammed) Asif, or the Under-19 fast bowler (Rajvardhan) Hangargekar, etc, and can play anyone because they won't get hit any worse."

On the four-time champions' batting, Manjrekar saw an improvement despite their narrow loss against Gujarat Titans. He said opener Ruturaj Gaikwad's 48-ball 73 and Ambati Rayudu's 31-ball 46 in their last match against Gujarat Titans were "good news." The cricketer-turned-analyst added:

"They were a bit unlucky to lose because the way Rashid Khan played, that won't happen often. I saw Ruturaj Gaikwad's batting, there was a lot of murmur about him being out of form but guys like Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad, when they are in form, they score big scores and not just 20-30 runs. So that's good news for CSK. Ambati Rayudu also scored a few runs and the shots he's known for were also on display. So the batting does look better."

Gaikwad and Rayudu's poor form was one of the reasons why the Super Kings find themselves placed ninth in the IPL 2022 points table. They have won just one match in the six they've played so far in IPL 2022. They'll not only need these players to be consistent but also others, especially the bowlers. They will need each player to chip in with more to have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs.

Check out the full IPL teams owner here.

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Sanjay Manjrekar picks favorites in CSK vs MI clash

Finally, Manjrekar picked Ravindra Jadeja and Co. as the favorites for the match, saying he doesn't have "any hope" from the Mumbai Indians setup. He said:

"Four-time champions because I don't see any hope here (MI) whereas some good things are happening there (CSK)."

According to the IPL timetable 2022, the match will kick off at 7:30 pm IST at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai.