IPL 2022: "Pro-Bumrah" - Sanjay Manjrekar predicts winner of Jasprit Bumrah vs Mayank Agarwal battle

Sanjay Manjrekar is "pro-Jasprit Bumrah" for the Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer's upcoming battle with Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Mayank Agarwal, which will unfold at Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Wednesday according to the IPL schedule.

The Indian stars have gone head-to-head five times in the IPL. The Mumbai Indians (MI) speedster had a clear upper hand, dismissing Mayank three times while conceding just six runs.

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar was given the numbers and asked to pick the winner of the battle between the two Indian internationals. The former batter said the prediction was "quite simple," explaining that Bumrah would test the PBKS opener with in-coming deliveries, exposing Mayank's tendency to take his front-foot across the stumps.

He explained:

"If he has such a track record then it's quite simple to predict. Bumrah will hit the stumps as usual. Mayank takes a forward stride and gets in trouble. So pro-Bumrah."

Mayank has struggled off the blocks this season, scoring just 42 runs from four matches at a dismal average of 10.50. But apart from worrying about his returns, he'll also have to find a solution to his team's selection headaches.

PBKS dropped the in-form Bhanuka Rajapaksa for the more-established international batter Jonny Bairstow ahead of their last game against Gujarat Titans (GT). The move backfired slightly as Punjab's batting unit fell short of the par target by at least 10-15 runs and ended up losing the game on the last ball.

Manjrekar called the decision "a big mistake" and asked for Rajapaksa's immediate return. But he remains unsure of the snub's impact on the Sri Lankan's confidence. He reasoned:

"...The way Rajapaksa played those two innings (43 off 22 and 31 off 9), he should have almost been a certainty for the entire season. To drop him because Bairstow was back was very wrong. You can never undervalue the current from and confidence. It was a big mistake. They should bring him back somehow but the problem is he has been dropped so I don’t know how his temperament is, how confident he will be now. So it was a big mistake and hopefully PBKS won’t have to pay too big a price for it."

The only viable option to bring Rajapaksa back would be to drop all-rounder Odean Smith. The West Indian started the season well but has collected just 12 runs and two wickets since. However, dropping him might also affect the team's balance as he has provided the IPL team with at least two overs in every game.

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Sanjay Manjrekar picks favorites for PBKS vs MI clash

Manjrekar chose Mayank and Co. as the favorites for the match, saying PBKS "have more ability" and should win barring any surprises. He said:

No, I think Punjab Kings have more ability. Anything can happen, even a flop-show, some teams ping surprises you like that. But I'll always back the team with more ability and I have been saying that Mumbai Indians are low on ability this season so Punjab Kings favorites to win."

The match will kickstart at 7:30 pm IST. You can catch the live proceedings here.