Sanjay Manjrekar's contrasting statements on Virat Kohli comes to limelight after 12 years

Cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has landed in hot water after a statement he made on Virat Kohli in 2012 has reappeared, which is contrasting to what he has said about the batter recently.

In 2012, Manjrekar said in a tweet that India should give Kohli one more Test match to be sure that he does not belong to the longest format of the game in international cricket. However, 12 years later, he has thanked God that India has a player like Virat Kohli.

“Give Virat one more Test.. just to be sure he does not belong here,” was Manjrekar's statement in 2012. Meanwhile, he recently said: “Thank God we have a Virat Kohli.”

The Delhi batter had made himself unavailable for the white-ball leg of the recently-concluded South Africa tour. However, he returned for the two-match Test series and finished as the highest run-getter for India and second-highest overall. In four innings, Kohli amassed 172 runs, at an average of 43.

“He showed on this trip the kind of the challenges that batters face that there’s a big distance between him and the next best Test batter in India at least until Rishabh Pant is back,” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo while praising the former India captain.

Speaking about current India captain Rohit Sharma, Manjrekar noted that there is no competition at the moment for his spot in the Test arena. The former India cricketer emphasised the need for younger players to adapt to Test cricket.

“Rohit Sharma will be the man to let us know by his action on how much he wants to play Test cricket. These (Rohit and Kohli) are still batters from the old school. All the new guys will have to adapt to Test cricket. If Rohit Sharma wants to extend his Test career, it’s in his hands, there’s no competition,” Manjrekar said.

Team India are to play Test series against England at home after Afghanistan series

Team India's next red-ball assignment is a five-match home series against England. The first Test match commences on Thursday, January 25, in Hyderabad. Before the Tests, Kohli and Rohit will be seen in action in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

Notably, the experienced duo is making a comeback in the shortest format of the game for India after 14 months. The first T20I is scheduled to be held on Thursday, January 11, in Mohali.