‘Should’ve worked on his flaws’: Sanjay Manjrekar disappointed by Virat Kohli quitting Tests for ODIs

Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian batsman, expressed dissatisfaction about Virat Kohli leaving Test cricket while continuing to play the easier ODI format. In the fifth Test of the ongoing 2025–26 Ashes, Joe Root produced an amazing 41st Test century. Manjrekar's response came the day after.

Prior to the England tour last year, Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket following a turbulent five years from the beginning of 2020. In 123 appearances, he amassed 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 hundreds, to end his red-ball career.

Sanjay Manjrekar talked about Kohli's Test retirement, while the other Fab Four members continue to go strong in the format.

"I just feel sad that people like Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson are really making a name for themselves in Test cricket. It would have been okay if Virat Kohli had just walked away from cricket and retired from all cricket. But that he has chosen to play one-day cricket actually disappoints me more. Because this is a format for a top-order batter, it is the easiest format.

As Joe Root attains new heights in Test cricket, my mind goes to Virat Kohli. He has walked away from Test cricket, and it's unfortunate that in the five years he struggled before retiring, he didn't quite put his heart and soul into finding out the problems as to why he was averaging 31 for five years in Test cricket. That is for another time as to what he could have done,” Manjrekar stated in a video on his Instagram.

Kane Williamson is still going strong with 9,461 runs, while Joe Root and Steve Smith have also reached the 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket. With 41, 37, and 33 Test hundreds, respectively, the three have already surpassed Kohli.

‘Disappointed that he chose the easiest format in ODI to continue’ - Manjrekar says Kohli quit Tests instead of working on his flaws

Manjrekar clarified his position by stating that he wouldn't mind if Kohli quit participating in all three international cricket formats. However, he was puzzled by his decision to stick with the "easiest format," ODIs, rather than address his shortcomings in red-ball cricket.

Sanjay Manjrekar added that even if Virat Kohli had been dropped from the Indian Test team, his fitness would have guaranteed his return to the team through his domestic performances.

“It was okay; Virat Kohli just walked away from cricket and retired from all cricket. But that he's chosen to play one-day cricket actually disappoints me more, because this is a format that, for a top-order batter, I've said before as well, is the easiest format.

The format that really tests you, first, obviously, is Test Cricket, and T20 cricket has its own different challenges. The other thing is because he's so fit, supremely fit, you feel even more that he could have maybe continued his fight, you know, to get back into form. Even if he was left out of a series, he could have maybe gone down to first-class cricket, played in Australia, England, or more matches in India, and tried to make another comeback," added Manjrekar.

Here is the video:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTJ8s39CHtO/?utm_source=ig_embed

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