In the ever-evolving landscape of Indian cricket, few things generate as much debate as the career choices of its modern-day greats. Virat Kohli. After India’s crushing victory by four wickets new zealand Former Indian batsman in first ODI in Vadodara Mohammad Kaif Launched a passionate defense of Kohli, taking a direct dig at his critics, notably Sanjay Manjrekar Who suggested that the star batsman has chosen the easier format by continuing to play in ODIs after his Test retirement.
Mohammad Kaif criticizes Virat Kohli’s format selection
Tension began when Manjrekar expressed his disappointment at Kohli’s decision to continue playing 50-over cricket while moving away from the tough Test arena. Manjrekar hinted that at 37, Kohli might be looking for the path of least resistance. However, speaking on his YouTube channel on January 12, Kaif rejected such arguments “childish and foolish“
Kaif stressed that Kohli’s pedigree in the longest format is beyond criticism, citing his 9,230 Test runs and 30 centuries as proof of his mastery in difficult conditions. He argued that no format of international cricket could be described as “easy”, noting that a single ball could exhaust a player’s contribution both mentally and physically while batting.
“He (Virat Kohli) scored almost 9,000 runs in Test cricket. It is not that he has not proved himself in difficult situations. He scored almost 30 Test centuries in his name. Many players will never be able to come close to this. So these are childish and foolish arguments which say that Virat Kohli chose the easy format. It is not easy cricket at all. Even club matches are not easy. Batting is most demanding because just one ball can ruin your entire game.Kaif commented.
Kaif also challenged comparisons with other modern legends Joe RootPointing out that while Root excels in Tests, he lacks Kohli’s staggering consistency and presence in white-ball formats. For Kaif, the suggestion that a player with over 28,000 international runs is looking for easy runs is a fundamental misunderstanding of the game.
Is @imVkohli Playing the easiest (ODI) format? @mohammadkaif the answer is #ViratKholi #ViratKohli𓃵 pic.twitter.com/5FosEjefwL
– Ravish Bisht (@ravishbofficial) 13 January 2026
Also read: Fastest 28,000: Here are the details of Virat Kohli’s international runs
Kohli’s resurgent masterclass has silenced the noise in ODIs
While experts were debating his future, Kohli gave a brilliant answer on the field. During the first ODI in Vadodara on 11 January, Kohli scored a brilliant inning of 93 runs off 91 balls to set up India’s target of 301 runs. His innings was a masterclass in chasing the target, comprising eight fours and a sky-scraping six, proving that his hunger for runs has not diminished.
During this innings, Kohli further etched his name in the history books by becoming the fastest player to reach 28,000 international runs, achieving the feat in just 624 innings – leaving the legend behind Sachin TendulkarThe number is 644. he also went ahead Kumar Sangakkara Became the second highest run scorer in the history of the game.
India lead the three-match series 1-0, with the second ODI scheduled to be played at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on January 14. As Kaif says, Kohli’s brilliant form has become the backbone of the Indian lineup, especially when the team is battling injury concerns like defeats. washington beautiful. As the Men in Blue look to win the series, the focus remains squarely on Kohli, who continues to deliver record-breaking performances in the easier formats that most cricketers can only dream of.
Also read: Top 3 cricketers with most Player of the Match awards in ODIs. Virat Kohli