Sanjay Manjrekar has questioned the timing and intention behind Virat Kohli’s Test decision to walk away from the longest format of the game. He expressed his disappointment at the decision and expressed dismay at Kohli’s decision to walk away rather than try to work on the technical deficiencies that had crept into his game in recent years.
While Manjrekar acknowledged Kohli’s stature and legacy, he felt the former India captain left Test cricket too early and abruptly, especially compared to his contemporaries Joe Root and Steve Smith.
“Well, as Joe Root reaches new heights in Test cricket, my thoughts turn to Virat Kohli. He has walked away from Tests, and it’s a shame that in the five years he struggled before retiring, he didn’t really put his heart and soul into discovering the issues behind why he averaged 31 in Tests for five years. That’s another story for what he could have done. But I’m just sad that the likes of Joe Root and Steve Smith, Kane Williamson are.” really making a name for himself in Test Cricket,” Manjrekar said on his Instagram account.
The disappointment stems from what many felt was unfinished business. Kohli was expected to push for the 10,000-run milestone in Tests. Kohli retired from Tests last year at the age of 37, curtailing his red-ball career that spanned 123 Tests. Kohli amassed 9230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. Despite those impressive numbers, his final phase was marked by inconsistencies.
In his last Test series against Australia, he scored just 194 runs in 10 innings, including 100 in one innings in the series opener in Perth. What was more painful was that almost all his dismissals followed the same pattern as he continued to chase balls outside the off-stump and take them to the wicketkeeper or the slip cordon.
Another aspect that did not sit well with Manjrekar was Kohli’s prioritization of ODIs. While Kohli remains a dominant force in the 50-plus format, Manjrekar termed ODIs as the “easiest format” for someone of Kohli’s calibre.
“It was okay, Virat Kohli has just walked away from cricket and retired from all cricket. But the fact that he has chosen to play one-day cricket actually disappoints me even more because this is a format that, for a top-order batsman, as I have said before, is the easiest format.”
Kohli’s struggles in the longest format
From 2020 to 2025, Kohli’s struggles in Test cricket became more apparent and visible. He endured a lean period, averaging just 31 during that period. As a result, his Test average fell below 47 by the time of his retirement, from well over 50 at one point.
That said, his love for Test cricket was paramount, with the batsman often citing the format as his favourite. While Kohli’s contemporaries continue to score runs, he has limited himself to mere format, which has pinched Manjrekar the most.
“The format that really tests you is obviously Test Cricket, and T20 cricket has its different challenges. The other thing is because he is so fit, extremely fit, you feel even more that maybe he could have continued his struggle, you know, to get back into form. Even if he had been left out of a series, maybe he could have gone to first-class cricket, played in Australia, England, more matches in India, tried to make another comeback,” Manjrekar added.
Despite the criticism, Manjrekar clarified that the decision ultimately rests with Kohli, adding that factors like mental fatigue, motivation and personal priorities cannot be left out.
“That could have made me really happy. That’s obviously his decision, his choice. But yes, when Joe Root gets hundreds or runs, or Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, my thoughts go to Virat Kohli with a sense of disappointment and a bit of sadness because he cared so much about Test cricket, didn’t he?”
Get every cricket update! Follow us:
#Virat #Kohli #simply #walked #Tests #fixing #flaws #opting #easiest #format #play #Sanjay #Manrekar #CricTracker