Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh defended Virat Kohli from “easiest format” criticism by Sanjay Manjrekar during the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that scoring runs is never easy in any format and added that if it were, every player would succeed.
Manjrekar shared his views on Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket while continuing in ODIs, following Joe Root’s second century of the Ashes series in the fifth Test. Manjrekar said that Kohli chose to leave the red-ball format at a time when players like Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson are still playing.
If it was so easy to score runs in any format, then everyone would have made it – Harbhajan Singh
Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, around 10 months after retiring from T20Is. However, the senior batter has continued to perform strongly in the ODI format.
Responding to Sanjay Manjrekar’s remark that ODIs are the “easiest format,” Harbhajan Singh said that scoring runs is never simple in any form of the game. He also stated that Kohli has always been a match-winner for India, regardless of the formats he plays.
“If it was so easy to score runs in any format, then everyone would have made it. Let’s just enjoy what people are doing. Manjrekar has his own way of thinking. They are playing well, winning games, scoring runs, and taking wickets. That’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter who plays which format,” Harbhajan said (via Sportstar).
“Virat, whether he plays in one format or all formats, has been a fantastic player and a big-time match-winner for India. They inspire the next generation. The way I see it is that Virat and these players have played a major role to take this game forward,” he added.
Virat is an unbelievable player – Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh said that Virat Kohli would still be India’s top Test player if he had not retired from the format. The former Indian cricketer described Kohli as an exceptional player.
“Virat is an unbelievable player. Even today, if he plays Test cricket, he will be our main player,” said Harbhajan (via the aforementioned source).
The Delhi-born cricketer ended his Test career with 9,230 runs from 123 matches, scoring at an average of 46.85 and registering 30 centuries over the years. He scored 190 runs in five Tests at an average of 23.75, including one century during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Virat Kohli Reaches No. 1 ICC ODI Rankings
Virat Kohli climbed to the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI batter rankings, overtaking Rohit Sharma ahead of the second ODI against New Zealand. He scored a match-winning 93 in the series opener at Vadodara, where India chased down a 301-run target with six balls to spare.
In the second ODI at Rajkot, Kohli was dismissed for 23 by Kristian Clarke. India slipped to 118/4 before KL Rahul rescued the innings with an unbeaten 112, guiding the hosts to 284/7 in 50 overs.
New Zealand then chased the target comfortably. Daryl Mitchell struck an unbeaten 131 and added 162 runs with Will Young (87) as New Zealand won by seven wickets with 15 balls remaining. The series-deciding third ODI will be played in Indore on Sunday, January 18.
Also read: Daryl Mitchell set to dethrone Virat Kohli as World No.1 ODI batter after Rohit Sharma’s downfall
