Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar came forward and tore into Virat Kohli, opining that the 36-year-old star has lost the ability to play big shots at will, and lacks confidence in his batting as well.
Rohit Sharma-led India got off to a brilliant start to their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. The side took on Bangladesh in their first game of the tournament at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, February 20. It is worth noting that the game saw Bangladesh batting first and posting a total of 228 runs on the board in the first innings, thanks to Jaker Ali and Towhid Hridoy’s performances.
As India came out to chase the target, it was the brilliant century of Shubman Gill, which ensured the win for team India. Gill, Rohit Sharma, and KL Rahul were the star performers for the Men in Blue during the run chase, and one of the biggest names missing from the performers list was ace batter Virat Kohli.
The 36-year-old came out to bat after the Indian skipper’s dismissal on 41 runs. However, Kohli was once again sent packing against a leg spinner, walking back to the pavilion after adding just 22 runs on the board. It is interesting to note that Kohli has only scored 137 runs in the six ODI innings he has played after the 2023 World Cup.
Looking at his recent performances, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar came forward and opined that the 36-year-old does not have the game to hit the big shots anymore and that he has backed himself into a corner.
“He’s in a tight corner, Virat Kohli. His confidence is still down. He wants to still show that he’s up there for a fight, and I am starting to see maybe there’s a little bit of bravado as well, and why not? You can’t be revealing what’s inside you,” Manjrekar was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“Now Rohit Sharma still has the big game. He can step out and hit a guy over extra cover and play the short-arm pull and willing to take chances. Virat Kohli doesn’t have the big game anymore. We’ve seen on occasion him playing the big shot but he can’t hit at will hit like a Shubman Gill does,” he added.