Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar commented on the dismissal of star batsman Virat Kohli during the Men in Blue’s recent match against Ireland in the T20 World Cup 2024. Sanjay Manjrekar stated that Virat Kohli should not have played attacking cricket since the start in the last match of the current ICC tournament.

Team India kicked off their World Cup campaign with an eight-wicket win against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Wednesday, June 5. The Rohit Sharma-led team chased a target of 97 runs below average with 45 Balls to spare at the newly constructed New York Stadium.

Virat Kohli opened the batting with Rohit Sharma in India’s first World Cup match. However, the right-handed batsman managed to score just one run off five balls before being dismissed by Irish pacer Mark Adair. Kohli attempted an attacking shot and Benjamin White completed a simple catch to third man.

It was not necessary in a race chase – Sanjay Manjrekar

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Sanjay Manjrekar said that Virat Kohli might have felt compelled to play aggressively due to expectations. Manjrekar emphasized that such an approach was not necessary in the context of the last match chase.

“I think Virat Kohli was forced to play a certain way because of what is being said about him. He wasn’t needed in a chase that wasn’t huge.” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

India comfortably chased down the target of 97 runs, despite Virat Kohli’s early dismissal. Rohit Sharma scored 52 runs off 37 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes, before being retired injured. Rishabh Pant scored an unbeaten 36 runs off 26 deliveries in his comeback game for the Indian cricket team.

Rohit Sharma is not thinking about milestones – Sanjay Manjrekar

The cricketer-turned-commentator praised Rohit Sharma for his focus on providing a solid start for the team rather than chasing personal milestones. Sanjay Manjrekar highlighted Rohit’s willingness to take risks for the benefit of the team.

“What the Indian fans loved about Rohit Sharma, the captain, the player, and after the 50-over World Cup, even though India lost the final, I think his popularity and the love that the fans have for Rohit Sharma has grown because of purity. “When he bats, he doesn’t really think about milestones. He will continue to take risks because he knows that a fast start is great for his team.” Manjrekar added.

Send a strong message to other teams – Sanjay Manjrekar

The 58-year-old said India’s performance in the opening match against Ireland sent a strong message to other teams in the World Cup. Manjrekar also praised Rishabh Pant for his impressive batting performance in the recent game.

“A performance that sends a strong message to the other teams. We were talking about Ireland being a dangerous team, but they just made fun of that game. The way they bowled and, in the end, chased too. Rishabh Pant was fantastic, Rohit Sharma too”, Manjrekar concluded.

The Rohit Sharma-led team is on top of the Group A table with two points and a net run rate (NRR) of 3.065. The Men in Blue will face arch-rivals Pakistan in their next match at the same venue on Sunday, June 9. A win in the next match will seal India’s place in the Super 8 stages of the tournament.

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