Virat Kohli simply walked away from Tests instead of fixing his flaws, chose the easiest format to play: Sanjay Manrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar has questioned questioned the timing and intent behind Virat Kohli's Test decision to walk away from the longest format of the game. He expressed disappointment over the decision, expressing dismay at Kohli's decision to walk away instead of attempting to work on the technical flaws that had crept into his game over the past few years.

While acknowledging Kohli’s stature and legacy, Manjrekar felt that the former India captain exited Test cricket too early and abruptly, especially compared to his contemporaries Joe Root and Steve Smith.

“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, 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. That is for another time as to what he could have done. But I just feel sad that people like Joe Root and Steve Smith, Kane Williamson are really making a name for themselves in Test Cricket,” Manjrekar said on his Instagram handle.

The disappointment stems from what many believe was unfinished business. Kohli was expected to push for the 10000 run milestone in Tests. Kohli retired from Tests last year at the age of 37, bringing down curtains on his red-ball career, which spanned across 123 Tests. Kohli amassed 9230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. Despite those impressive numbers, his final phase was marked with inconsistency. 

His last Test series against Australia saw him scoring only 194 runs in 10 innings, with 100 of those coming in a single innings in the series-opener in Perth. What was more painful was that almost all of his dismissal followed the same pattern, as he kept chasing balls outside the off stump, edging it to the wicketkeeper or the slip cordon.

Another aspect that did not sit well with Manjrekar was Kohli’s prioritisation of ODIs. While Kohli remains a dominant force in the 50-over format, Manjrekar termed ODIs as the "easiest format" for someone with Kohli’s calibre.  

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

Kohli’s struggles in the longest format

From 2020 to 2025, Kohli’s struggles in Test cricket became more pronounced and visible. He endured a lean patch and averaged merely 31 in the span. As a result, by the time of his retirement, his Test average slumped below 47 from well over 50 at one point.

That said, his love for Test cricket was paramount, with the batter referring to the format as his favourite many a time. While Kohli's contemporaries continue to score runs, he has limited himself to merely format, which has pinched Manjrekar the most.

“The format that really tests you is first, obviously, Test Cricket, and T20 cricket has its 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, more matches in India, tried to make another comeback,” added Manjrekar.

Despite the criticism, Manjrekar clarified that the decision ultimately rests with Kohli, adding that factors such as mental fatigue, motivation, and personal priorities can't be discounted.

"That could have made me truly happy. Obviously, that's his call, his choice. But yeah, when Joe Root gets hundreds or gets runs, or Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, my mind goes to Virat Kohli with a sense of disappointment and a little bit of sadness, because he cared so much for Test Cricket, didn't he?”