Former cricketer shares candid view on Virat Kohli’s retirement ahead of NZ Series
Sanjay Manjrekar sparks debate by saying it would have been okay if Virat Kohli retired from all cricket ahead of the India vs New Zealand ODI series.
Virat Kohli (Image Credit: BCCI)
Last Updated: 12.38 PM, Jan 06, 2026
Former India cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar made waves with a bold statement regarding Virat Kohli’s international career ahead of India’s 2026 ODI series against New Zealand. Manjrekar said he believed it would have been “okay” if Kohli had chosen to retire from all forms of cricket, not just Test matches, a comment that has drawn attention from fans and pundits alike.
Kohli, one of the most prolific batters in modern cricket, retired from Test cricket in May 2025 after a distinguished 14-year red-ball career that saw him score over 9,000 runs with 30 centuries. Manjrekar’s comments come at a time when Indian cricket is navigating a transition. With several senior players having stepped away from certain formats, the spotlight on emerging stars and the team’s strategic direction has increased.
"I just feel sad that people like Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson are really making a name for themselves in Test cricket. It was okay if Virat Kohli had just walked away from cricket and retired from all cricket. But that he has chosen to play One day cricket actually disappoints me more. Because this is a format for a top-order batter is the easiest format," said Manjrekar on his Instagram.
My mind goes to Virat Kohli: Sanjay Manjrekar
The former cricketer spoke about how Joe Root has been consistenly scoring runs in Test cricket but Virat chose to walk away. Manjrekar gave a subtle advice to Kohli and was he could have done to improve himself rather than retiring from cricket.
"As Joe Root attains new heights in Test cricket, my mind goes to Virat Kohli. He has walked away from Test cricket and it's unfortunate that in the five years 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 Test cricket. That is for another time as to what he could have done," he added.
Where to watch IND vs NZ matches?
Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs New Zealand matches from January 11 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.