Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar disagreed with the skipper Rohit Sharmahis statement about Virat Kohlihis ongoing form Frontier-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series. Sanjay Manjrekar said Rohit Sharma had to make a public statement to avoid adding pressure on Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli's struggle against off-stump deliveries has been a key issue. It was evident in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Apart from his century in the second innings of the Perth Test match, Kohli has been dismissed four times in the series, all by catches behind the stumps.
Modern greats will find their way or path – Rohit Sharma
The 36-year-old batsman scored 126 runs in five innings at an average of 31.50. With the series at stake, Kohli will look to regain his form in the upcoming match at the MCG. Asked about Kohli's struggles, Rohit Sharma expressed confidence that Kohli will find a way to address the issue.
“You just said that it is a modern sea. The modern seas will find their way or way (to overcome the problems),” Rohit told reporters.
This is a wrong statement – Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar disagreed with Rohit Sharma's statement on Virat Kohli's form, calling it an “erroneous statement”. Manjrekar said the captain must avoid putting extra pressure on the player, but cricketers often think differently behind the scenes.
“Actually, this is a wrong statement. And they have to say it. Let's understand that a captain cannot go out there and put more pressure on the batsman. So he said that thing he has to say in a press conference. But obviously. , deep down, cricketers think differently and I was part of that system, actually we couldn't speak our mind,” Manjrekar told ESPNCricinfo.
I am no longer focusing on the Virat Kohli – Sanjay Manjrekar issue
Sanjay Manjrekar said modern greats like Virat Kohli would not figure out their problems on their own. He said that if this was true, Kohli would have solved his problems by now. Manjrekar pointed out that the batting coach should address these technical issues.
“But that is not true where a sea these days will find its own way out. If that was the case, he would have found his way out. And that's why I'm not focusing on Virat Kohli's problem anymore, I'm focusing more on Virat Kohli's problem. the guy who should fix these issues and that is the batting coach,” added Manjrekar.
“And if he can't address these chronic issues that some of our hitters have had, and those are mostly technical battles from a temperamental standpoint, or if there's a mental issue, that's a little bit more difficult to deal with, but technical issues, if he doesn't contribute or if he can't make a difference, you have to start looking at the batting coach's role.
“So I think it's pretty obvious to everyone that Virat Kohli needs outside help because he alone hasn't been able to solve that technical problem of his,” he concluded.
Read also: Naman Ojha's father was sentenced to seven years in prison in the embezzlement case