Former India cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has once again stirred debate after doubling down on his controversial remarks about Virat Kohli and one-day international (ODI) cricket. Manjrekar reiterated his belief that ODIs are the easiest format for top-order batters, adding that it is “the last place” he would look to judge the greatness of a modern-day batter.
Earlier, Manjrekar had expressed disappointment over Kohli stepping away from Test cricket and focusing only on ODIs. He suggested that Kohli’s decision reflected an inability to overcome certain challenges in the longest format. Speaking recently on social media, Manjrekar defended his stance, arguing that the structure of ODI cricket heavily favours batters at the top of the order.
According to him, history shows that many players who happily opened the batting in ODIs were reluctant to do so in Test matches, preferring middle-order roles instead. Manjrekar pointed out that in ODIs, openers and No. 3 batters face fewer slips and attacking fielders, and bowlers are often more focused on containing runs than taking wickets. This, he believes, makes run-scoring significantly easier.
Manjrekar further explained that once a batter survives the initial 10–15 overs, the field spreads out, allowing stroke-makers to rotate strike and build big scores. In contrast, he highlighted that the real challenge in ODI batting lies in the middle and lower-middle order. He praised players like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina for consistently performing from positions four, five and six, calling those roles the toughest in the format.
Concluding his remarks, Manjrekar maintained that true batting greatness is best judged in Test cricket rather than ODIs, especially for top-order players. His comments have once again sparked strong reactions among fans, particularly supporters of Virat Kohli, ensuring the debate around formats and greatness remains alive in Indian cricket discourse.
