“He did not conform to behaving ‘correctly’” - Sanjay Manjrekar’s huge statement on Virat Kohli upon Test retirement

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar praised Virat Kohli for going against conventional wisdom, with only winning in mind after the latter's Test retirement. Kohli shocked everyone concerned by announcing his Test retirement through his Instagram handle on Monday, May 12.

It ended an illustrious 14-year red-ball career of 123 matches, following his debut in 2011. Kohli finished with 9,230 Test runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries.

The champion batter finished with the most double centuries in Tests by an Indian batter at seven.

Talking about Kohli's mindset in his column for the Hindustan Times, Manjrekar wrote:

"In every way he was a modern-day hero, a role model for young athletes with his six-pack abs, his tattoos and his style of playing cricket. He did not conform to behaving ‘correctly’ on the field... he was there to win and he wasn’t going to let convention come in the way. But he worshipped Test cricket."

Kohli captained India from 2015 to early 2022, helping the side dominate red-ball cricket in the second half of the 2010s. Under Kohli, India won 40 out of 68 Tests, including a runners-up finish in the 2019-21 World Test Championship (WTC).

"Virat invested much in it" - Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar hailed Virat Kohli for his dedication to Test cricket in an era when the format was the least lucrative for players around the globe. The 36-year-old was often outspoken about prioritizing red-ball cricket and urged the fans to support Test cricket to the fullest.

"And for a while when Test cricket was really struggling (and will continue to do so) as a format, Virat invested much in it, showing that his heart was in the right place. He is a very rich sportsman but until the very end he gave his all to Test cricket, the most non-lucrative form of the game," said Manjrekar (via aforementioned source).

He added:

"When Virat the superstar was touching new heights in Test cricket, sometimes I would feel that the format needed him more than the other way round."

Kohli finished as India's fourth-highest run-scorer in Tests, with his 30 centuries in the format also fourth, behind only Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Rahul Dravid. Having also retired from T20Is last year, the 36-year-old will play ODIs for India in the upcoming years.