Sanjay Manjrekar, the former India cricketer turned commentator, has expressed regret over Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket. He suggested that Kohli could have put in more effort to regain his form instead of ending his red-ball career early.

As Joe Root continues to excel in Test cricket, Manjrekar shared that Kohli’s absence from the format stands out more, particularly when players like Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson are building their legacies. He felt Kohli’s ongoing struggle with the bat in his final Test phase only made his retirement more disappointing.

“As Joe Root continues to reach new heights in Test cricket, I can’t help but think of Virat Kohli. It’s unfortunate that in the five years leading up to his retirement, he didn’t fully invest in figuring out why he was averaging just 31 in Test cricket. It’s a bit disheartening to watch players like Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson firmly cementing their legacies in Test cricket,” Manjrekar said in a video shared on his Instagram.

He felt that Kohli could have explored changes in both his technical and mental game or considered stepping away temporarily to work on his form in first-class cricket, both in India and overseas.

Manjrekar also expressed greater disappointment over Kohli’s choice to continue playing One-Day Internationals after stepping away from Test cricket. He called ODIs the easiest format for a top-order batter and emphasized that Test cricket remains the true test of skill, temperament, and perseverance.

“It would have been fine if Virat Kohli had decided to retire from all formats of cricket. But the fact that he’s chosen to continue playing one-day cricket is actually more disappointing to me. I’ve said before that for a top-order batter, ODI cricket is the easiest format. The real test is Test cricket, which challenges you in every way, while T20 cricket presents its own set of challenges,” he added.

“Another factor is his exceptional fitness; because he’s so fit, it makes you feel even more that he could have continued fighting to regain his form. Even if he had been dropped from a series, he could have gone back to first-class cricket, played in Australia, England, or more matches in India, and possibly made a comeback,” Manjrekar said.