Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has claimed that Virat Kohli is highly sensitive to scrutiny, despite the star batter’s public stance of ignoring outside noise.

Speaking on Sportstar's Insight Edge Podcast, Manjrekar noted that Kohli is well aware of discussions about him, recalling times when he seemed "cold" at the toss after hearing criticism.

“That is very important to him (privacy). But somebody who is also very sensitive to criticism. He, I think, gets to know about what’s being said about him, because I’ve had an experience with him as a captain and player. And suddenly one day I would find him very cold at the toss or whatever, and I would think, perhaps he heard something that was being said about him," Manjrekar said.

Manjrekar added that hearing negative talk often motivates Kohli to score another century and silence his critics.

"So he’s (Kohli) one of those first guys who kept saying, you know, we don’t care about what people say and why, so he’s also very sensitive. But maybe it’s a good thing as well that if he hears that kind of criticism or something negative, that will just spur him on to get that next big hundred," he stated.

Manjrekar emphasized Kohli’s ability to maintain high energy even in challenging conditions, which also gives his teammates a believe that turnaround was possible

“The thing to like about him as captain was when things went flat, when he knew he wouldn’t be able to get a wicket on the pitch that he had in the bowling resources. He would still make sure the team was driven and that there was the energy of the field, and he made them believe things would happen. I think that was his great strength," Manjrekar said.

He cited the "60 overs of hell" line during the 2021 Lord's Test as a prime example of Kohli's ability to inspire in dire situations.

“I’ve always believed that the team wears the look of the captain. Under Virat Kohli, every player had to be like Virat Kohli. If anyone went out there and looked a little flat, they would not be playing the next Test match. So, everybody responded to Virat’s aggression," Manjrekar remarked.