‘He did not conform to behaving ‘correctly’’ – Sanjay Manjrekar lauds ‘modern-day hero’ Virat Kohli

Sanjay Manjrekar and Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: Twitter/X)

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar lauded the legendary batter Virat Kohli for defying traditional expectations, with only focus on winning the game after the veteran’s retirement on May 12. The ace batter announced his retirement through social media on May 12.

Kohli had an impressive 14-year career in the red-ball format, playing 123 matches and finished with 9230 runs at an average of 46.85, which included 30 centuries. The star cricketer smashed most double centuries in Tests among the Indian batters.

“In every way he was a modern-day hero, a role model for young athletes with his six-pack abs, his tattoos and his style of playing cricket. He did not conform to behaving ‘correctly’ on the field… he was there to win and he wasn’t going to let convention come in the way. But he worshipped Test cricket,” Manjrekar wrote for Hindustan Times.

He also praised the right-handed batter for the dedication to Test format in the time period where cricketers are least involved in the setup. Kohli always urged the fans to support Test cricket and was often outspoken for prioritising the longest format.

“And for a while when Test cricket was really struggling (and will continue to do so) as a format, Virat invested much in it, showing that his heart was in the right place. He is a very rich sportsman but until the very end he gave his all to Test cricket, the most non-lucrative form of the game,” Manjrekar said.

“When Virat the superstar was touching new heights in Test cricket, sometimes I would feel that the format needed him more than the other way round,” he added.

Kohli finished as fourth-highest run-scorer in Tests for India, just behind Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid. He will be seen in action in the Indian jersey for ODIs in the upcoming games.