Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed his belief that Virat Kohli does not seek power or leadership within the Indian cricket team. In an interview with Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel, Manjrekar drew a parallel between Kohli and the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, highlighting their shared passion for playing cricket.
Manjrekar emphasized that both Kohli and Tendulkar genuinely enjoy being on the field. He mentioned that even when Kohli was not part of the playing XI, he remained engaged with the team on the field, underlining his love for the game. According to Manjrekar, Kohli’s focus is on playing cricket and not on acquiring power or leadership roles.
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“He just wants to play, and it looks like he enjoys being a part of the team. He captained the team for a very long time, so there is no scope for an unfulfilled dream. Being with the team, traveling with players, going to the ground, and being part of winning moments are more important to him than having power,” Sanjay Manjrekar commented.
Manjrekar acknowledged the unique distinction of both Tendulkar and Kohli, who have achieved numerous centuries in Test cricket. However, he expressed doubt about Kohli matching Tendulkar’s record of 51 Test centuries, considering the challenging nature of the milestone. While Tendulkar accumulated 51 Test centuries during his illustrious career, Kohli has scored 29 Test hundreds thus far.
“Sachin Tendulkar has 51 hundreds, 17 more than what Sunil Gavaskar finished with. For a good player, accumulating runs in ODIs is comparatively easy, as bowlers don’t always try to take a wicket. Tendulkar and Kohli are special because they also have a lot of Test hundreds. However, I believe it will be very difficult for Kohli to reach 51 Test centuries,” Snajay Manjrekar opined.
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Kohli, who has amassed more than 13,000 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs) for India, is set to be rested for the first two ODIs in the upcoming series against Australia. While he continues to be a vital part of the Indian cricket team, his commitment to the team’s success remains his primary focus.
