Virat Kohli earns Harbhajan's defence as former spinner blows away Manjrekar's claim

Virat Kohli and Harbhajan Singh [Source: @shrayan_talpade/X]

Recently, Sanjay Manjrekar criticised Virat Kohli for choosing to continue only in ODIs while stepping away from Test and T20I cricket, calling the 50-over format the “easiest” among the three. Reacting strongly to Manjrekar’s remarks, former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh came out in support of Virat Kohli.

Manjrekar’s comments triggered a widespread debate on social media and among cricket experts, with many questioning whether any international format can truly be termed “easy.” The remarks also drew a sharp response from Kohli’s brother, Vikas Kohli, who took an indirect jibe at Manjrekar on social media.

Harbhajan defends Virat Kohli over Manjrekar’s remarks

As Virat Kohli remained at the centre of the discussion, Harbhajan Singh took a firm stand in defence of the former India captain. He stressed that success at the international level does not come easily in any format, whether it is Tests, ODIs, or T20Is.

Harbhajan maintained that no format can be taken lightly and reiterated that Virat Kohli is, and will continue to be, one of India’s greatest match-winners.

“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," Harbhajan said.

"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,” Harbhajan said at an event, as quoted by Times of India.

Harbhajan praises Kohli's influence

Harbhajan also praised Kohli for being an inspiration to youngsters and future cricketers who will carry the game forward. He added that even if Kohli were to play Test cricket today, he would still be among India’s most important players.

“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,” Harbhajan added.

For context, Kohli has played 210 Test innings, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. He has 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries in the format and has faced over 16,000 deliveries.

What did Sanjay Manjrekar say about Kohli?

Explaining his stance earlier, Sanjay Manjrekar had argued that ODI batting has become easier for top-order batters in modern cricket. He suggested that if Kohli was keen to stay closely connected to the game, he could have continued with red-ball cricket to address his struggles in Tests.

“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,” Manjrekar said.

Manjrekar also said it would have been acceptable if Kohli had walked away from the game entirely after retiring from Test cricket. Instead, Kohli chose to continue in ODIs and is currently in strong form, which, according to Manjrekar, indicated a deliberate decision to step away from Tests due to his difficulties in that format.

Virat Kohli enjoying solid run after Test & T20I retirement

Regardless of the contrasting views expressed by Manjrekar and Harbhajan, Virat Kohli has been enjoying an impressive run in ODI cricket. The former India captain has scored 14,673 runs in 310 ODIs at an outstanding average of 58.45 and is closing in on the 15,000-run milestone.

Currently ranked as the world’s number one ODI batter, Kohli has been consistent over the past six months. If he maintains this form through the ongoing New Zealand series and beyond, he is well placed to reach the landmark in the near future.