Harbhajan Singh takes down Sanjay Manjrekar for remarks over Virat Kohli
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has voiced strong support for Virat Kohli, sharply criticising Sanjay Manjrekar for his recent remarks about the former captain’s decision to continue playing One Day Internationals after stepping away from Test cricket. Harbhajan did not mince his words, expressing disappointment over what he felt were unfair and unnecessary comments directed at one of India’s greatest modern-day cricketers. He stressed that Kohli has earned the right to choose the formats he wishes to play, given his immense contribution and longevity at the highest level.
Harbhajan Singh stands by Virat Kohli against Sanjay Manjrekar's comments
The controversy began after Manjrekar claimed that Kohli had chosen “the easiest format to play” by prioritising ODIs, a statement that quickly triggered backlash from fans, former players, and analysts alike. Many felt the comment undermined Kohli’s achievements and ignored the physical and mental demands of 50-over cricket. The issue gained further traction when Kohli’s brother, Vikas Kohli, reacted on social media, taking a subtle dig at Manjrekar without directly naming him. His post was widely interpreted as a defence of Virat and added fuel to the ongoing debate. The incident has reignited discussions around respect for players’ career choices and the tone of public commentary in Indian cricket.
“If it was so easy to score runs in any format, then everyone would have made it. Let’s just enjoy what people are doing. They are playing well, winning games, scoring runs, and taking wickets. That’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter who plays which format. Virat, whether he plays in one format or all formats, has been a fantastic player and a big time match winner for India,” stated former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh.
“They inspire the next generation. Manjrekar has his own way of thinking. The way I see it is that Virat and these players have played a major role to take this game forward. Virat is an unbelievable player. Even today, if he plays Test cricket, he will be our main player,” he added.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s comments surfaced at a time when Virat Kohli has been enjoying a productive phase in One Day International cricket, making the timing of the remarks all the more contentious. Manjrekar claimed that the ODI format has become considerably more batter-friendly, particularly for top-order players, and suggested that this was one of the reasons Kohli chose to continue in the 50-over format. He elaborated on his viewpoint in a video posted on social media, where he compared the physical and technical demands of Tests, ODIs, and T20 cricket, arguing that ODIs now place relatively fewer challenges on elite batters.
Manjrekar went on to draw comparisons between Kohli’s red-ball career and that of England’s Joe Root. He implied that while Root made technical adjustments and found ways to work through difficult phases in Test cricket, Kohli struggled to arrest his decline in the longest format. According to Manjrekar, Kohli could have done more to overcome those challenges rather than stepping away from Test cricket. These remarks further intensified the debate, with many former cricketers and fans pushing back against the narrative, pointing to Kohli’s extensive contributions across formats and questioning the fairness of such comparisons.
"Well, as Joe Root attains new heights in Test cricket, my mind goes to Virat Kohli. He’s walked away from Tests, and it’s unfortunate that in the five years that he struggled before retiring, that 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 Tests,” stated former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar.
