Former Team India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar shared his opinion about Virat Kohli and how he reacts to outside criticism. Manjrekar stated that Kohli pays close attention to everything said and written about him, despite the former India captain often claiming publicly that he ignores external opinions and noise.
Kohli has scored 379 runs in 11 matches at an average of 42.11 and a strike rate of 163.36 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2026. He registered back-to-back ducks against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Mumbai Indians (MI). However, he is the leading run getter for the team so far in the tournament.
Key Points
- Sanjay Manjrekar claimed Virat Kohli is very sensitive to criticism despite publicly saying otherwise.
- Manjrekar revealed Kohli sometimes behaved “cold” towards him after hearing criticism.
- Manjrekar also praised Kohli’s aggressive leadership style during his Test captaincy era.
I Would Find Him Very Cold at the Toss – Sanjay Manjrekar on Virat Kohli
Speaking on the Sportstar Insight Edge Podcast, Sanjay Manjrekar shared his personal experiences with Virat Kohli during broadcasting duties. Majrekar said that he observed noticeable changes in Kohli’s behavior whenever negative comments or criticism about him surfaced.
“That is very important to him (staying private). But somebody who is also very sensitive to criticism. Yeah, yeah, he, I think, gets to know about what’s being said about him, because I’ve had an experience with him as a captain and player.”
“And suddenly one day I would find him very cold at the toss or whatever, and I would think, perhaps he heard something that was being said about him,” Manjrekar said.
Spur Him On to Get That Next Big Hundred – Sanjay Manjrekar on Virat Kohli
The former batter also pointed out the contrast between Virat Kohli’s public comments about ignoring outside opinions and his reactions to criticism behind the scenes. However, Manjrekar added that such criticism could also motivate Kohli to perform better on the field.
“So he’s one of those 1st guys who kept saying, you know, we don’t care about what people say and why, so he’s also very sensitive. But maybe it’s a good thing as well that if he hears that kind of criticism or something negative, that will just spur him on to get that next big hundred,” Manjrekar added.
The 37-year-old retired from Test cricket last year before India announced the squad for the England tour. Kohli finished his red-ball career short of the 10,000-run milestone while remaining statistically India’s most successful Test captain.
Everybody Responded to Virat Kohli’s Aggression – Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar praised the energy and intensity Kohli brought as India’s Test captain. The former cricketer stated that Kohli constantly pushed the team to maintain aggression and belief, even on flat pitches where bowlers received very little assistance.
“The thing to like about him as captain was when things went flat, when he knew he wouldn’t be able to get a wicket on the pitch that he had in the bowling resources. He would still make sure the team was driven and that there was the energy of the field, and he made them believe things would happen. I think that was his great strength,” said Manjrekar.
“I’ve always believed that the team wears the look of the captain. Under Virat Kohli, every player had to be like Virat Kohli. If anyone went out there and looked a little flat, they would not be playing the next test match. So everybody responded to Virat’s aggression,” he added.
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