Former Indian cricketer and renowned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has drawn an intriguing parallel between batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. Manjrekar observed that Kohli, like Tendulkar, appears to perform better away from home.
Kohli’s recent return to Test cricket against Bangladesh was underwhelming, with scores of 6 and 17. Manjrekar attributed this to Kohli’s discomfort batting in India. “He’s not enjoying batting in India as much. Like (Sachin) Tendulkar, I think he feels more at home away from home,” Manjrekar said on the ESPNCricinfo YouTube channel.
Manjrekar pointed to Kohli’s impressive performance in South Africa, where he was India’s standout batter. “We saw in South Africa how well he played. He was by far India’s best batter,” Manjrekar added.
In the second innings of the Bangladesh Test, Kohli was controversially given out LBW despite replays showing the ball had hit his bat. However, Kohli declined to review the decision, a move that Manjrekar found puzzling. “Felt bad for Virat today. He obviously didn’t think he had hit it. Just wanted to know from Gill if the ball was hitting stumps. Despite Gill encouraging him to go for the review anyway, he walked away dejected wanting to keep the 3 reviews for his team,” Manjrekar tweeted.
Kohli’s absence from Test cricket since January 2024 may have contributed to his struggles. He missed the home series against England due to the birth of his second child. Despite his low scores, Kohli reached a significant milestone, becoming the second Indian to score 12,000 runs on home soil, behind only Tendulkar.
Manjrekar’s comparison between Kohli and Tendulkar highlights the unique challenges faced by elite batters. While Tendulkar was known for his exceptional performances overseas, Kohli has also shown a remarkable ability to adapt to different conditions. However, Manjrekar’s observation that Kohli may be more comfortable batting away from home raises questions about his mindset and the pressure he faces when playing in India.
