The world of cricket is no stranger to vocal opinions Sanjay Manjrekarbut the veteran commentator found a persistent critic Vikas Kohlielder brother of the Indian legend Virat Kohli. Follows India‘s last ODI series against New Zealandthe social media landscape erupted after Vikas tagged Manjrekar as ‘Mr Pundit’ in response to criticism of Virat’s format choices.
The friction started after Manjrekar publicly expressed his disappointment over Virat’s decision to quit Test cricket while continuing to compete in One Day Internationals. Manjrekar has controversially described ODIs as the easiest format for top-order batting and said Kohli’s choice to stick with the 50-over game was the path of least resistance. The comments have touched a nerve, especially given Kohli’s storied career and recent struggles in the longest format before his Test exit.
Vikas Kohli rekindles feud with Sanjay Manjrekar
Virat’s performance on the field remains the ultimate rebuttal to his skeptics. During the match against New Zealand, the legendary batsman reminded the world of his white-ball supremacy by scoring a magnificent 124 runs off just 108 deliveries. It was his 85th century in international matches, a statistic that underscores his continued dominance in over 50 arenas.
Despite Kohli’s heroics, India struggled to chase down the daunting target of 337 after the other top order, including India. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill slowed down. It is in this context of individual brilliance versus team struggle that made Vikas take to the social media platform Threads.
“I wonder if Mr. Cricket Expert has some suggestions for the easiest form of cricket? You have to be there to do it. Anyway, like I said, easier said than done,” Vikas wrote on social media, directly challenging Manjrekar’s assessment. A few days ago, Vikas scoffed at the ‘gyaan’ (unsolicited advice) offered by pundits, reiterating that performing internationally is much more difficult than parsing it from the commentary box.
Controversy over Test legacy and ODI longevity
The root of the tension lies in Manjrekar’s open criticism of Virat’s recent years in Test cricket. Manjrekar recently drew comparisons with Kohli’s trajectory Joe RootAs the Englishman reached new heights, Kohli recorded a batting average of 31 in the five years before his departure. The commentator claimed that Kohli did not put his heart and soul into solving his technical problems in the red-ball format.
Manjrekar’s contention that Kohli’s preference for ODIs is disappointing stems from his belief that the format offers a comfort zone for established batsmen. However, fans and family members like Vikas argue that this view belies the enormous physical and mental toll required to maintain world-class standards in any international format.
As Virat continues to pile up centuries and inch closer to future milestones in the ODI format, the gap between pundits and performers looks wider than ever. While Manjrekar reserves the right to criticize the technicality, the Kohli camp remains steadfast in defending the legacy of a man who has carried the weight of Indian batting for more than a decade.
