Stop putting Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the same bracket: Sanjay Manjrekar

Former Indian cricketer and analyst Sanjay Manjrekar wasn’t pleased to hear the statement of the new Indian Test captain Shubman Gill stating that there would be pressure on him without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma on England tour.

Manjrekar, who is known for not mincing his words, asserted that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma shouldn’t be kept in the same bracket when it comes to the longest format of the game. Notably, Rohit and Kohli announced their retirements from Tests last month.

"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," Manjrekar said in a video on his Instagram account. 

While comparing Virat and Rohit is understandable in the white-ball formats, there is no absolute comparison between them in the red-ball cricket. Moreover, he brought up the duo’s SENA numbers in the longest format of the game.

"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," he added.

"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 the Oval 2021. He's played over 100 innings, just one hundred in SENA countries. And the average now is 40,” he observed.

"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,” he concluded.

Here is the full video:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKoIp8yIAOm/

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