Sanjay Manjrekar Questions Kohli Test Exit

Former Cricketer Calls Virat Decision Disappointing After Root Century

January 6, 2026: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has revisited Virat Kohli decision to retire from Test cricket after Joe Root scored his 41st Test hundred. In a video Manjrekar said it was unfortunate that Kohli walked away from the format despite struggling for five years without fully addressing his issues.

Manjrekar said he would have understood if Kohli had retired from all formats. However he was disappointed that Kohli chose to continue playing ODIs which he described as the easiest format while stepping away from the toughest test of skill and temperament which is red ball cricket.

He added that Kohli supreme fitness could have helped him fight back through domestic cricket and overseas tours. Manjrekar concluded that watching Root Steve Smith and Kane Williamson excel in Tests makes him feel sad about Kohli absence from the format.