NEW DELHI: One of the greatest batters of all time, Virat Kohli, may often say he ignores outside noise, but former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes the star batter pays close attention to criticism directed at him.Speaking on Sportstar’s Insight Edge Podcast, Manjrekar said Kohli, who is currently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), would sometimes become “cold” towards him during tosses after hearing negative comments made about his performances.
According to Manjrekar, Kohli is “very sensitive to criticism” and usually gets to know “what’s being said about him”.Manjrekar said, “So he’s one of those first guys who kept saying, you know, we don’t care about what people say… but he’s also very sensitive.” He added that criticism may actually motivate Kohli, saying it could “spur him on to get that next big hundred.”Kohli has had a mixed IPL 2026 season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He started strongly but recently suffered back-to-back ducks against Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians.Manjrekar also praised Kohli’s leadership in Test cricket, calling him one of India’s greatest captains. He explained how Kohli kept energy levels high even when conditions were difficult for bowlers. “The thing to like about him as captain was when things went flat… he would still make sure the team was driven,” Manjrekar said.
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He also spoke about Kohli’s aggressive influence on teammates, adding: “Under Virat Kohli, every player had to be like Virat Kohli.” Kohli retired from Test cricket before India’s England tour last year.
