Rohit Sharma dragged through the dirt, declared far inferior to Virat Kohli by ex-cricketer

Former India National Cricket Team batter Sanjay Manjrekar has made a bold statement on the comparison between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Test cricket.

Sanjay Manjrekar believes that Virat Kohli is in a 'different league' when it comes to Test cricket and Rohit Sharma should not at all be compared to him.

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced Test retirements in the same month

The modern-day batting greats Rohit and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket in the same month of May, just before the India tour of England 2025.

They both took to Instagram to make the decision to walk away from the red-ball format public. Rohit Sharma announced his retirement on May 7, 2025, and a few days later, on May 12, 2025, Virat Kohli also confirmed that he would be moving away from the format he loves the most.

Rohit scored 4301 runs in 67 matches at an average of 40.57 in his Test career and had a decent run as the skipper.

On the other hand, Kohli played 123 Test matches in his legendary career and scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.85. Kohli had an exceptional run as the red-ball captain and put himself on the list of the greatest Test skippers of all time.

I will never ever put them in the same bracket - Sanjay Manjrekar

As Rohit and Kohli retired from red-ball cricket, tributes poured in for the duo, which is also known as RoKo. However, Sanjay Manjrekar is not a fan of the term RoKo and the comparison between Rohit and Kohli, particularly in red-ball cricket. In a video shared on his Instagram handle, Sanjay Manjrekar elaborated:

"Right recently, Shubman Gill made a statement, India's new test captain about how he is now going to feel the pressure of the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the England season, the Test series there. And it stirred up the bee in my bonnet, which has been there for a while. It's not so much about the statement, but the fact that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli tend to get clubbed together."

"We even have a term for them, RoKo. I can understand it in white-ball cricket; there's some comparison, and they're comparable players. Although there's an argument there as well, but that's for a later time. When it comes to red-ball cricket, there's absolutely no comparison between the two. And I will never ever put them in the same bracket. Just to give you some numbers, so you don't have to take my word for it."

Virat Kohli is in a different league - Sanjay Manjrekar

While explaining his point, Sanjay Manjrekar said that Rohit's Test numbers are highly inferior to Kohli's and his stats would have hit a new low had he traveled to England for the five-match Test series.

Manjrekar added that the fans and broadcasters putting Kohli and Rohit in the same bracket in Test cricket is absolutely the wrong thing to do, as the former is in a different league. He elaborated:

"When it comes to SENA countries, the true test of a batter, Virat Kohli has got 12 hundreds. 30 Test 100s as well. Rohit Sharma in SENA countries, just the one against England at Oval 2021. He's played over 100 innings, just one hundred in SENA countries. And the average now is 40."

"And I dare say, had he continued playing or had he gone to England, that average would have dropped in the 30s. I can't be absolutely sure, but that would be my educated guess. So, when it comes to Test cricket, please, red-ball cricket, Virat Kohli is in a different league when you compare him with Rohit Sharma. This comparison in red-ball cricket between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and putting them in the same bracket, I say, Roko, stop that."