Sanjay Manjrekar believes Virat Kohli is far ahead of Rohit Sharma in Test cricket. Renowned cricket commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has stated that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should not be compared equally when it comes to Test cricket. He feels that the two batting legends belong in different categories in the longest format of the game and has urged fans not to place them in the same bracket.
Both Kohli and Sharma announced their retirement from Test cricket last month. Kohli ended his Test career as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer, having played 123 matches and scored 9230 runs in 210 innings at an average of 46.85. The former Indian captain also registered 31 half-centuries and 30 centuries in the format.
Sharma, meanwhile, played 67 Tests for India, scoring 4301 runs in 116 innings at an average of 40.57. He recorded 12 centuries and 18 fifties in red-ball cricket. Notably, he retired as India’s highest run-scorer in the history of the ICC World Test Championship.
Sanjay Manjrekar says fans shouldn’t compare Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma equally in Test cricket
Former cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar shared a video on Instagram, stating that there is no comparison between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Test matches. “We even have a term for them, RoKo. I can understand that in white-ball cricket, there is some comparison, and they are somewhat comparable players. But in red-ball cricket, there’s absolutely no comparison between the two,” he said.
Manjrekar also pointed out how Kohli far outshines Sharma when playing in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia).
“When it comes to SENA countries, which is the true test for a batsman, Virat Kohli has scored 12 Test hundreds. Overall, he has 30 Test centuries. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, has just one hundred in SENA countries — against England at The Oval in 2021. He has played over 100 innings there, with just that one century. His average now is 40,” Manjrekar explained.
“And I would even say that if Rohit had continued playing more Tests in England, his average might have dropped to the 30s. I can’t be 100% sure, but that’s my educated guess,” he added.
Because of this, Manjrekar urged fans not to put Kohli and Sharma on the same level in Test cricket.
“So, when it comes to Test cricket — red-ball cricket — Virat Kohli is in a different league compared to Rohit Sharma. Comparing them equally in red-ball cricket is not fair. I say, RoKo fans, stop that,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, both players will continue representing India in One Day Internationals (ODIs). India’s next ODI series is scheduled for August against Bangladesh. Both were recently part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
