Star India cricketer criticizes Sanjay Manjrekar over 'Easy to score runs in ODIs" remark, says...

Home SportsStar India cricketer criticizes Sanjay Manjrekar over Easy to score runs in ODIs remark on Virat Kohli, says... Star India cricketer criticizes Sanjay Manjrekar over ‘Easy to score runs in ODIs’ remark on Virat Kohli, says…

Star India cricketer Harbhajan Singh slammed Sanjay Manjrekar over "Easy to score runs in ODIs" comment on Virat Kohli as he retired from Test cricket.

Published: January 15, 2026 3:16 PM IST By Sruti Thakur | Edited by Sruti Thakur Follow Us Virat Kohli

New Delhi: Star India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has slammed Sanjay Manjrekar’s over “easy to score runs in ODIs” comment on Virat Kohli as he continued in ODIs while stepping away from Test cricket. Harbhajan defended Kohli’s achievements and consistency, describing such remarks as unfair and dismissive of the effort required to excel at the highest level.

Harbhajan declared scoring runs in any format is difficult

Harbhajan, speaking at an event on Wednesday, remarked that scoring runs in any format is never easy, “If it was so easy to score runs in any format, then everyone would have made it. Let’s just enjoy what people are doing. They are playing well, winning games, scoring runs, and taking wickets. That’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter who plays which format. Virat, whether he plays in one format or all formats, has been a fantastic player and a large time match winner for India,” Harbhajan stated.

Harbhajan highlighted Kohli’s influence on Indian cricket and his role as an inspiration for the younger generation, “They inspire the next generation. Manjrekar has his own way of thinking. The way I see it is that Virat and these players have played a major role to take this event forward.

“Virat is an unbelievable player. Even currently, if he plays Test cricket, he will be our main player,” he added.

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Virat Kohli has been in a red-hot-form

Virat Kohli has been in a solid form recently. He scored two consecutive centuries during the South Africa series, while he carried his red-hot-form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. During the 1st ODI against New Zealand he narrowly missed his well-deserved century by only 7 runs.

In an Instagram video, Manjrekar clarified his view by comparing the batting roles in different formats. “A lot of people have asked me why I keep saying ODI cricket is easy for top-order batters,” stated Manjrekar while pointing out that several Indian batters preferred opening in ODIs but were joyful to bat in the middle order in Tests.

He added that limited fielding restrictions and bowlers prioritizing run control over taking wickets make life easier for top-order batters in ODIs.

Manjrekar’s comments sparked widespread debate and criticism, in fact Kohli’s brother, Vikas Kohli, also voiced a strong defence of the former India captain.

About the Author

Sruti Thakur

Sruti Thakur is a trainee sports journalist at india.com with a specialization in Broadcast Journalism. She has previously worked with a couple of startup channels as a sports content writing intern, ... Read More

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Virat Kohliharbhajan singhInd vs NZIndia vs New ZealandODI FormatSanjay ManjrekarVijay Hazare TrophyVikas kohli

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