Virat Kohli is in a "different league" totally from Rohit Sharma, and Sanjay Manjrekar has strongly recommended against placing them in the "same bracket" when it comes to Test cricket.
In May, Rohit and Kohli retired just a few days apart. Kohli's declaration was more unexpected than Rohit's, which followed rumors that the BCCI selectors were thinking of ousting him from captaincy due to his significant self-deprecation during the Test tour of Australia.
Manjrekar claimed that his annoyance with the "RoKo" narrative, which is a fan-created abbreviation for the two greats, started after new captain Shubman Gill made a remark during a recent news conference.
“Recently, Shubman Gill made a statement, India’s new test captain about how he is now going to feel the pressure of the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the England season, the Test series there. And it stirred up the bee in my bonnet, which has been there for a while. It’s not so much about the statement, but the fact that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli tend to get clubbed together," Manjrekar said in a video on his Instagram page.
“We even have a term for them, RoKo. I can understand it in white-ball cricket; there’s some comparison, and they’re comparable players. Although there’s an argument there as well, but that’s for a later time. When it comes to red-ball cricket, there’s absolutely no comparison between the two. And I will never ever put them in the same bracket. Just to give you some numbers, so you don’t have to take my word for it," he added.
Here is the video:
Manjrekar pointed out the difference of centuries made in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Kohli hit 12 centuries in SENA nations, while Rohit Sharma made just one, that came against England in 2021.
Manjrekar even went so far as to claim that had Rohit stayed in the game and joined the squad for the forthcoming five-Test tour of England, his Test average would have fallen to the 30s, down from 40.57 at the time of his retirement.
“And I dare say, had he continued playing or had he gone to England, that average would have dropped in the 30s. I can’t be absolutely sure, but that would be my educated guess. So, when it comes to Test cricket, please, red-ball cricket, Virat Kohli is in a different league when you compare him with Rohit Sharma. This comparison in red-ball cricket between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and putting them in the same bracket, I say, Roko, stop that,” Manjrekar added.
Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are now available for India duties in ODIs only, having retired from T20Is after T20 World Cup 2024 win.
