New Delhi: One of the greatest batsmen of all time, Virat Kohlimay often say they ignore outside noise, but the former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrikar The star batsman is sure to pay close attention to the criticism leveled at him.Speaking on Sportsstar’s Insight Edge podcast, Manjrekar said that Kohli, who currently plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), sometimes goes “cold” to him during the toss after hearing negative comments about his performance.
According to Manjrekar, Kohli is “very sensitive to criticism” and generally “knows what is being said about him”.“So he’s one of the first guys to say, you know, we don’t care what people say … but he’s also very sensitive,” Manjrekar said. He added that the criticism might actually motivate Kohli, saying “it might motivate him to get the next big century.”Kohli is joining the IPL 2026 season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He started strong but recently suffered back-to-back ducks against Lucknow Supergiants and Mumbai Indians.Manjrikar also praised Kohli’s leadership in Test cricket, calling him one of India’s greatest captains. He spoke about how Kohli kept the energy level high even when conditions were tough for the bowlers. “What I loved about him as a captain was that when things went well… he would still make sure the team was run,” Manjrekar said.He also spoke about Kohli’s aggressive influence on his teammates, adding: “Under Virat Kohli, every player had to be like Virat Kohli.” Kohli retired from Test cricket before India’s tour of England last year.
