Sanjay Manjrekar takes a sly dig at Virat Kohli yet again after his Test Retirement

Former Team India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has made a massive claim on Virat Kohli’s Test retirement ahead of the Test series between India and England, starting next month. The commentator stated that the 36-year-old batter’s career in the longer format of the game is a fascinating case study.

Virat Kohli stunned fans and the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, May 12. He scored over 9,000 runs and 30 centuries, but his decision came after a prolonged dip in form. The 36-year-old batter managed just two half-centuries in his previous 19 Test innings.

Virat Kohli’s Numbers as a Test Batter Make for a Fascinating Case Study - Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar shared an analytical take on Virat Kohli’s Test career stats following the former India captain’s retirement. Manjrekar highlighted the differences in Kohli’s performance over three phases.

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"Virat’s numbers as Test batter makes for a fascinating case study. Career average 46.8 From debut to Sept 2014 - 39.5 Oct 2014 to Dec 2019 - 63.6 Jan 2020 till retirement - 30.7," Manjrekar wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Virat’s numbers as Test batter makes for a fascinating case study.
Career average 46.8
From debut to Sept 2014 - 39.5
Oct 2014 to Dec 2019 - 63.6
Jan 2020 till retirement - 30.7

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) May 18, 2025

Kohli struggled in Test cricket in 2020, with an average of just 30.72 across his last 39 matches. He managed only three centuries in 69 innings. Kohli, known for his consistency, saw his overall Test average dip from the mid-50s during his peak years in the 2010s to 46.85 at the end.

Virat Kohli Leaves Test Cricket as One of India’s Greatest Batters and Captains

Virat ended his Test career as India's fourth-highest run-scorer. The right-handed batter is behind only legendary cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Rahul Dravid. Kohli stepped away from T20Is last year after the T20 World Cup 2024 victory and now only plays for India in the ODI format.

Apart from his batting, Kohli led India in 68 Tests between 2014 and 2022. He guided the team to 40 wins, including the No.1 spot in the ICC Test rankings. The veteran built one of India’s most dominant eras in red-ball cricket. India finished as runners-up in the 2019–2021 World Test Championship (WTC).

Virat Kohli Aims to Maintain Momentum in IPL 2025 Campaign

Virat Kohli has been in outstanding form for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. He has scored 505 runs in 11 matches at an impressive average of 63.12 and a strike rate of 143.46.

The batter has smashed seven half-centuries, all in RCB victories. He scored 62 runs off 33 balls against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) before the tournament was suspended for one week.

RCB is currently at the top of the points table with 17 points from 12 games. The match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was washed out due to rain on Saturday. They have come closer to securing a playoff spot and are also vying for a top-two finish at the end of the league stage.

Also read: Shreyas Iyer issues explosive statement on overseas players' availability ahead of IPL 2025 restart