Categories: Sports

‘He Did Not Quite Put His Heart Into…’Sanjay Manjrekar Expresses Disappointment Over Virat Kohli Retiring From Test To Focus On ODIs, Calls It ‘Easiest Format’

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has said that since 2020, Virat Kohli didn’t put his heart and soul into understanding what his problems were in red-ball cricket

Published by Somya Kapoor
Last updated: January 6, 2026 17:28:12 IST

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Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar criticised Virat Kohli for retiring from Test format. He further added that Kohli didn’t put his “heart and soul” in finding the solutions for the problems he was facing while batting.

“Well, as Joe Root attains new heights in Tests, my mind goes to Virat Kohli. He has walked away from Tests and it is unfortunate that in the five years that he struggled before retiring, he did not quite put his heart and soul into finding out the problems as to why he was averaging 31 for five years in Tests,” Manjrekar said in an Instagram video.

“But I just feel sad that people like Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson are really making a name for themselves in Tests,” Manjrekar said.

Manjrekar went on to say that Kohli chose the easiest format to stick around. “It was OK if Virat Kohli had just walked away from cricket, retired from all formats. But that he has chosen to play one-day cricket disappoints me more because this is a format which, for a top-order batter, I have said before as well, is the easiest format,” Manjrekar said.

Kohli bid adieu to T20 format after winning the World Cup in 2024 while retired from Tests in May last year.

A post shared by Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaysphotos)

“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life,” Kohli said in a social media statement on Monday morning. “There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.”

The right-hander is presently playing ODI format for India and has been in sublime form. In the last 4 outings in India colours, Kohli has two hundreds and as many fifties. He will now be in action against New Zealand in a three-match ODI series at home.

Also Read: Sanju Samson Falters, Vishnu Vinod Shines For Kerala; Rishabh Pant-Led Delhi Register Knockout’s Spot Despite Virat Kohli’s Absence