Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has suggested that Virat Kohli, despite repeatedly claiming he ignores “outside noise,” may actually be affected by what pundits say about him—so much so that it could show up even before a toss.
Manjrekar on Kohli’s response to criticism
- Manjrekar said Kohli appears to absorb details about commentary and discussion around him, even if Kohli projects that he does not care about opinions from the cricket world.
- He pointed to the possibility that Kohli can become “cold” at the toss if he has heard something unfavourable about himself—something Manjrekar claims he noticed from personal experience as both a captain and a player.
- While describing Kohli as someone who values keeping his matters private, Manjrekar also said Kohli is highly sensitive to criticism.
- He added that such negative feedback, instead of demoralising Kohli, can act as motivation—pushing him to respond with a major innings, including another hundred.
- Manjrekar stressed that Kohli has been among the first to insist that he doesn’t care about what others say, yet the former batter believes the criticism still reaches him in some form.
On Sportstar’s Insight Edge Podcast, Manjrekar said Kohli’s tendency to stay private is “very important” to him, but also argued that the Indian batter gets to know about what is being said. He further explained that, at times, he would notice Kohli looking unusually reserved at the toss, leading him to think Kohli had heard something being said about him.
Manjrekar also remarked that if the criticism is of a negative nature, it could be beneficial—because it may spur Kohli to raise his performance and chase another big milestone.
Kohli’s IPL 2026 start and recent lean patch
Turning to the ongoing franchise phase, Manjrekar’s comments also touched on Kohli’s recent form. He is set to be watched closely as the batter began the IPL 2026 season with a strong impact for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, before registering consecutive scoreless outings against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Mumbai Indians.
Kohli’s Test legacy and captaincy style
Manjrekar then shifted to Kohli’s Test career, noting that while Kohli may have moved on from the longest format, his influence continues to be debated by fans and pundits. Kohli, now 37, is widely considered the best Indian Test captain by statistics, and Manjrekar believes his impact will be felt even more in the coming years.
The right-handed batter retired from Test cricket last year, ahead of the squad announcement for the England tour. He left the format short of the 10,000-run mark, a milestone he had long wanted to reach.
Manjrekar highlighted what he viewed as Kohli’s key captaincy strength: when conditions became difficult and wickets were hard to come by due to the pitch, Kohli still ensured the team stayed energised. He described Kohli as a leader who maintained belief that something could change, even when the match seemed to flatten out.
He also offered a striking insight into Kohli’s influence in the dressing room, claiming that “the team wears the look of the captain.” Under Kohli, Manjrekar said, players were expected to match Kohli’s intensity. If someone appeared flat on the field, they would not be selected for the next Test match, and that pressure ensured everyone responded to Kohli’s aggression.
Stance on returning from Test retirement
Despite Kohli’s success for India in ODIs, Manjrekar noted that Kohli has consistently maintained he will not come out of his Test retirement, even as fans continue to urge him to return.
