'Ghar ki murgi daal barabar' - Mandeep Singh voices how India ignored Cheteshwar Pujara as Test drubbing continues [Exclusive]

Punjab cricketer Mandeep Singh has had a taste of international and IPL cricket, and he has also seen the Indian cricket from close circles, being a part of the squad on quite a few occasions. With the Indian team going through some extremely tough times in Test cricket, Mandeep has shared how he believes that the management did not back Cheteshwar Pujara enough.

In an exclusive interview with CricTracker, Mandeep expressed how people have realized the importance of Pujara now that he is not playing any more. Moreover, he has also named players like Jalaj Saxena and MB Murasingh as two extremely underrated cricketers in the Indian domestic circuit, and how they never got the due they deserved.

Excerpts from the interview

Who do you think is the most underrated player in Indian cricket right now?

In domestic cricket — since I’ve played so much of it — a few names come to my mind straight away. For example, Jalaj Saxena. Then there’s a player from Tripura, MB Murasingh. He’s a very underrated cricketer. His bowling skills are excellent, and even his batting and hitting abilities are very good.

With Jalaj Saxena, whenever we play against him, everyone in the team says, “He won’t give us anything easy.” His off-spin is top quality, and he can also bat really well. These are domestic players who are genuinely top class.

As for internationally underrated Indian players… honestly, today everyone who performs gets recognition. So it’s hard to pick someone who’s truly underrated. But let me give you an example. We lost two Tests in South Africa, yet our number 3, 4, and 5 back then — including Cheteshwar Pujara — were hugely important. And now, only after he’s no longer playing regularly, people have started appreciating him more.

Since you mentioned Pujara, yes — I definitely feel he is underrated. When he was playing, he didn’t get the fame or hype he deserved. As they say, “ghar ki murgi daal barabar” — you only realise someone’s value when they’re gone. His style was traditional Test cricket, and he played that role perfectly. So Pujara’s name certainly fits here.

Even Ajinkya Rahane — he’s still playing, and if he performs well, why not a comeback? I don’t think age matters. People also talk a lot about Sarfaraz Khan. He’s a big name already, so I don’t know if I’d call him “underrated,” because everyone recognizes his performances. But yes, if I have to pick one truly underrated cricketer, I’d say Cheteshwar Pujara.

If you could bat with any Indian legend from the past, who would it be?

I’ve already played with Virat paaji, Viru paaji and Yuvi paaji. I started cricket because of Sachin Tendulkar, and I would love to bat with him.

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Which IPL captain do you admire the most and why?

Look, I have played under Virat paaji. But Adam Gilchrist is my favourite. Maybe because I was very young at that time, and there was a lot of focus on attitude, and Gilchrist’s attitude really stood out. He was very process-driven. He didn’t talk too much about results; instead, he appreciated the small things. For example, even if you got out but made a brilliant stop in the field, he would still send you a message appreciating that effort.

As a youngster, that meant a lot to me. And even small habits, like saying there’s no shame in drinking water on the field, keeping a positive environment, I learned a lot from him. So he’s the first person who comes to my mind.

Then of course, I’ve played a lot under Virat paaji. His aggression, his intensity — he has a completely different character. His hunger, both as a leader and as an individual, has taught me a lot. These are the two main people I’ve played the most under in the IPL. Apart from them, I’ve played under Rishabh Pant, and at KKR. I don’t remember all the details now.

Who is the toughest bowler you’ve faced in the IPL?

Probably the toughest… there are many, because the IPL is obviously the best league in the world. I feel the toughest I’ve faced was Lasith Malinga at his peak. He was extremely difficult because of his slinging action, and I remember once he bowled a slower ball and got me out so badly that I was completely done, it was almost embarrassing. His slower ball was that dangerous. So his name comes to my mind first.

Otherwise, I think bowlers like Rashid Khan, Jofra Archer, Bumrah, all of them are outstanding. But Malinga comes to my mind first because he was truly very dangerous.