It’s been several months since former captain Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket. Former batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has raised Kohli’s Test retirement again after Joe Root recently scored his 41st century.

In recent years, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson have been compared based on records and statistics, and the media has been calling them the “Fab Four.” However, Manjrekar has now expressed his disappointment with Kohli’s choice in a video shared on Instagram.

The former cricketer expresses his dissatisfaction about Virat Kohli’s retirement

Manjrekar said, “Joe Root has reached new heights in Test cricket. And my thoughts go to Virat Kohli on this. He has retired from Test cricket. It is very unfortunate to see Kohli struggling for five years before retiring. Kohli did not fully put his heart into solving the problem, and that is why his average in the last five years has been 31.”

Manjrekar insisted, “That’s fine. Virat retired from Test cricket a few days ago. He was already retiring from T20 cricket in 2024. But his choice to play ODI cricket disappoints me more because, as I’ve said before, it’s the easiest format for a top batsman.” Manjrekar also explained why the Test format remains the most important.

Manjrekar said, “The format that really tests you is Test cricket, while the challenges of T20 are completely different.” The former batsman also pointed to Kohli’s fitness and discipline, saying that if he wishes, the door is always open for him to return.

 

Sanjay said in the video, “Now that he’s so much fitter, you feel like he could have kept fighting. You want to get back in form. Even if he had been left out of a series, he could have returned to first-class cricket. He could have played more cricket in Australia, England, and India and made a comeback.”