Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar sparked debate by questioning the T20 format's 'World Cup' status, saying the 50-over ODI should remain the true World Cup and the T20 revert to 'WorldT20,' drawing mixed reactions from fans online.
Former India batter turned cricket commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has yet again triggered an online debate by questioning the T20 format’s status as a World Cup. The T20 World Cup was first played in 2007, and since then, the marquee ICC event has been taking place since its inception.
The upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, beginning on February 7, is the 10th edition of the marquee event, with 20 teams vying for the coveted title. Team India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will enter the tournament as the defending champions, having won the title back in 2024 under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma.
In seven years, the fourth edition of the T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place, highlighting the tournament’s frequent cycle compared to the four-year gap of the ODI World Cup.
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The 50-Over Format is the Original World Cup
With eight days left for the T20 World Cup 2026 to begin, Sanjay Manjrekar opined about the need to preserve the ‘World Cup’ tag for only the 50-over format rather than applying it to a format, in his view, lack the traditionality and rarity of the ODI World Cup.
Taking to his X handle (formerly Twitter), the former Indian batter stated that the 50-over tournament should remain the true World Cup, while suggesting the T20 event keep its original ‘WorldT20’ title.
“For me, the ‘Cricket World Cup’ will always be the 50 overs World Cup,” Manjrekar wrote on X.
“The T20 version held every two years must not be given the same status of a World Cup that comes once in 4 years. I prefer the original name for it - The WorldT20,” he added.
The ODI World Cup is the first and most prestigious ICC tournament, held once every four years, and has long been considered the benchmark for cricket’s ultimate prize. Thereafter, the T20 World Cup followed, which has also become a successful and popular event, offering fast-paced action with a much shorter cycle than the ODI World Cup.
In 2019, the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced the World Test Championship as a bid to save the longest format of the game, giving Test cricket a league-style competition, each cycle taking place every two years and a clear pathway to a championship, while trying to maintain the interest in the traditional five-day format.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s Statement Sparks Debate
Sanjay Manjrekar’s statement on preserving the 50-over World Cup’s prestige has sparked debate on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter), where fans and cricket enthusiasts shared mixed reactions.
Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts expressed their mixed views, with a majority of them praising Manjrekar for defending the ODI World Cup as cricket’s premier tournament, while others argued the T20 World Cup is more competitive and thrilling, given the unpredictability of the matches, with some suggesting a four-year cycle could enhance its prestige.
However, a few called out Sanjay Manjrekar’s hypocrisy of defending the 50-over tournament as an original tournament while he earlier labelled the ODIs ‘are easiest format.’
The last ODI World Cup took place in 2023, while the T20 World Cup 2026 is set to begin next week, with the following T20 edition scheduled just two years later in 2028, a year before the next ODI World Cup, highlighting the shorter cycle that has fueled debates over the T20 format’s “World Cup” status.
