Latest news with #RoKo
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'RoKo, stop that': Former India cricketer slams clubbing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli together in Tests; says 'absolutely no comparison'
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma NEW DELHI: As Team India embarks on a new era in Test cricket without two of its biggest icons — Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma — former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has sparked a debate by urging the cricketing community to stop treating the duo as equals in the red-ball format. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Reacting to new Test skipper Shubman Gill 's remark that he will feel the pressure of not having Kohli and Rohit in the England series, Manjrekar took to Instagram to share a candid assessment. Poll Do you agree with Sanjay Manjrekar's view that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should not be treated as equals in Test cricket? Yes, they are in different leagues No, they should be compared Not sure It depends on the format '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,' he said. The former India batter asserted that while comparisons may be valid in white-ball cricket, Kohli and Rohit are in very different leagues in Test cricket. 'We even have a term for them, RoKo. I can understand it in white-ball cricket… but when it comes to red-ball cricket, there's absolutely no comparison between the two,' he added. Backing his stance with numbers, Manjrekar pointed to Kohli's dominant record in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries. 'Virat Kohli has got 12 hundreds. Rohit Sharma in SENA countries — just the one, against England at The Oval in 2021. He's played over 100 innings and averages 40.' 'And I dare say, had he gone to England, that average would have dropped into the 30s,' he said, before ending with a blunt punchline: 'So, when it comes to red-ball cricket… I say, RoKo, stop that.' Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy Manjrekar's comments have reignited discussions on India's red-ball legacy and the contrasting impact of two modern giants of Indian cricket.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"Stop Putting Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma In Same Bracket": Sanjay Manjrekar Separates 'Ro-Ko'
As Team India begins a new journey in Test cricket, unarguably, the biggest challenge remains filling the voids left by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While one is a batter who truly redefined the way the format is perceived across the globe, the other is a captain whom simply no one could hate. Though the pool of talent India has makes it quite conceivable for the selectors to replace the big-name players with promising talent, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar wasn't pleased when the new Test captain said that there would be pressure on him without Virat and Rohit. Manjrekar, a cricketer-turned-pundit, isn't known to mince his words while sharing his analysis on the raging topics in the game. He doesn't feel Virat and Rohit should be put in the same category, at least as far as Test cricket is concerned. "Right 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," he said in a video on his Instagram account. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaysphotos) "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," Manjrekar said in an unflinching statement. The former Indian cricketer also put some numbers forward, especially from the two batters' SENA performances in Tests. "When it comes to SENA countries, the true test of a batter, Virat Kohli has got 12 hundreds. 30 Test 100s as well. Rohit Sharma in SENA countries, just the one against England at the Oval 2021. He's played over 100 innings, just one hundred in SENA countries. And the average now is 40." "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."
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Rohit Sharma's average would have dropped to 30s in England': Sanjay Manjrekar slams former India captain's Test record
Rohit Sharma may have hung up his Test whites, but for former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, certain remarks about the Indian opener's record stir 'the bee in my bonnet.' Manjrekar was referring to a statement made by Shubman Gill, who recently succeeded Rohit as India's new Test captain. During his first media interaction, Gill mentioned the pressures of attempting to fill the void left by the Test retirements of Rohit and Virat Kohli within a short span last month. In a video shared on his Instagram account, Manjrekar said, 'Right 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 was displeased that Rohit and Kohli found equal importance in the set-up, when the latter has built a far superior Test record with nearly double the runs. While Rohit amassed 4301 runs in 67 Tests, averaging 40.57, Kohli finished as India's fourth-highest Test scorer at 9230 runs at 46.85 in 123 appearances. A post shared by Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaysphotos) '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.' 'When it comes to SENA countries, the true test of a batter, Virat Kohli has got 12 hundreds. 30 Test 100s as well. Rohit Sharma in SENA countries, just the one against England at Oval 2021. He's played over 100 innings, just one hundred in SENA countries. And the average now is 40.' Rohit and Kohli called it quits from the Test format on the back of their poorest season in whites. While Kohli failed to light up the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia despite a century, Rohit withdrew himself from the final Test in Sydney in January. '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,' remarked Manjrekar.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
‘Rohit Sharma's average would've dropped to 30s if he toured England': Virat Kohli in 'different league' verdict passed
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar urged fans and cricket pundits not to group Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli together when discussing their Test cricket performances. Manjrekar once again reiterated that there is no comparison between the two when it comes to the longest format of the game, saying Kohli is far ahead, considering his performances in the SENA countries. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Tests ahead of the England tour. As a result, the Shubman Gill-led side is without two of its most senior pros for the upcoming five-match series. Ahead of the first Test in Headingley, Gill was recently asked about the duo's absence and how the team will cope. Rohit called time on his Test career after playing 67 Tests, while Kohli represented India in 123 Tests. Rohit's average was a tad over 40, while Kohli's was 46.85. While Rohit registered 12 centuries in Tests, Virat Kohli bid adieu to the longest format after having smashed 30 tons. Rohit scored 4301 runs in 67 matches while Kohli amassed 9230 runs in 123 games. In a video shared on his Instagram account, Manjrekar said, "Right 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." Also Read: Rajat Patidar broke captain's tradition for Virat Kohli "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." Manjrekar even argued that Rohit Sharma's average would have fallen if he hadn't retired and made the trip to the UK for the five-match series against England. He also stated that there is no debate between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma considering the former's record in the SENA countries. "When it comes to SENA countries, the true test of a batter, Virat Kohli has got 12 hundreds. 30 Test 100s as well. Rohit Sharma in SENA countries, just the one against England at Oval 2021. He's played over 100 innings, just one hundred in SENA countries. And the average now is 40." "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." Both Rohit and Virat endured a horrid time in India's last two Test series against New Zealand and Australia. While Kohli scored a century in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener in Perth, Rohit failed to register a single half-century in the last six Tests he played.
