Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar stood firm on his criticism of Virat Kohli, stating that One-Day Internationals remain the easiest format for top-order batters.
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has once again defended his controversial comments on Virat Kohli, claiming that the star batter chose to continue in the easiest format among the three. Earlier this week, Manjrekar said it hurt him to see Kohli “giving up” on Test cricket and focusing only on ODIs, suggesting that the decision came after the batter failed to overcome certain shortcomings in the longest format.
Expanding on his views, Manjrekar said that ODI cricket heavily favours top-order batters, allowing them to score runs with relative ease. He also pointed out that many players who enjoy batting at the top in ODIs are reluctant to take up similar roles in Test cricket.
“A lot of people have asked me why I keep saying ODI cricket is easy for top-order batters. Go back a few years in Indian cricket and look at the guys who were opening for India for a long time in 50-over cricket. Those batters were middle-order batters in Test cricket. They were not very keen to open in Test cricket or bat in the top three. They were very happy to play at No. 4, 5, 6,” Manjrekar said on Instagram.
“But come one day cricket, they were almost desperate to bat in the top three and open. Therein lies the answer as to why I believe it’s easy for top order batters, because everybody is queuing up to bat in the top three. The first advantage you get when you are opening in 50-overs cricket or batting at No. 3, there’s no four slips and a gully. And you know when a bowler is running in, he’s not really coming in to get you out. He’s just trying to make sure you don’t get 10-15 runs an over,” he added.
Manjrekar Praises MS Dhoni
Manjrekar, however, praised players who batted lower down the order and still made a strong impact in ODIs, highlighting the tougher nature of those positions.
“So if you are a good enough player, you just play out the first 10 to 15 overs. Then the field spreads out, and slowly, if you are a good rotator of strike, you get to a 100. The tough place to bat in one-day cricket is where Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, or MS Dhoni would bat, which is 4, 5, 6. Those were the tough positions,” said Manjrekar.
ALSO READ | Shaheen Afridi Accuses India of Violating Sportsmanship During Asia Cup 2025
“So if you are looking for a batting great, you won’t find them in one-day cricket, and especially at number one, two, and three. One day cricket is the last place I would look at to see my batting great of today because there’s just far too much going for people who bat in the top three in one day cricket,” he added.
This article follows WicketWatcher’s editorial standards. Learn more in our Editorial Policy or report an issue via our Corrections Policy.