“My respect for Virat Kohli has grown immensely” - Sanjay Manjrekar hails senior Indian batter over impressive showing in South Africa

Former batter Sanjay Manjrekar has praised Virat Kohli over his impressive performances in the ongoing Test series in South Africa. While hailing the former India captain, Manjrekar opined that Kohli has proved that one can keep improving even after playing 100 Test matches.

Kohli, 35, is currently India’s leading run-getter in the ongoing Test series in South Africa. In three innings, he has scored 160 runs at an average of 53.33. In tricky conditions, he has looked India’s best batter by some distance.

While analyzing the seasoned Indian batter’s performance in the Test series against South Africa so far, Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo:

“I think he’s just more clear in his head. The last series [in South Africa], I keep harping on the fact that he had a strike rate of 34. I am sure somewhere he has decided that it’s not going to happen again - clear mind, no burden of captaincy, no pressure of retaining leadership, just focusing on his batting. The great man just showed how somebody can reinvent his own batting.

"He’s started playing those shots square of the wicket. That was a calculated move. The pull shots as well to ensure that he doesn’t graft for runs because that is not Virat Kohli. On a pitch like this, you need to be looking to score and my respect for Virat Kohli has grown immensely in this particular series. This performance is coming well after his 100 Test matches,” Manjrekar added.

The former India captain has registered scores of 38, 76, and 46 in the three innings that he has played so far in the series against the Proteas.

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“He is slightly different when it comes to this format” - Manjrekar on Kohli’s adaptability

Kohli came into the Test series against South Africa on the back of a stupendous ODI World Cup. He did not feature in the white-ball games against the Proteas but has looked in great control out in the middle.

Complimenting Kohli on his versatility, Manjrekar said:

“He’s reminded everyone how he is slightly different when it comes to this format. I know he had a great World Cup, but these are tough conditions and every time he has come out to bat, he hasn’t got out early. He’s hung in there. I think in the last innings in the previous Test, he would have got a hundred if things would have just gone normally.”

Kohli scored a record 765 runs in 11 innings during the 2023 ODI World Cup at an average of 95.62 with three hundreds and six fifties.