• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Runs With Strike Rate Matter Manjrekar Fires Shots At Virat Kohli Through Explosive Post

"Runs With Strike Rate Matter": Manjrekar Fires Shots At Virat Kohli Through Explosive Post

Soumyajit Dutta

Virat Kohli and Sanjay Manjrekar [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]Virat Kohli and Sanjay Manjrekar [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]

Former India cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar recently took a pointed dig at Virat Kohli’s batting approach in IPL 2025, sparking debate among fans. Manjrekar, known for his candid opinions, highlighted the importance of not just accumulating runs but doing so at a high strike rate in the T20 format. 

Manjrekar's critique was aimed at Virat Kohli, who, despite scoring heavily this season, has been perceived as slower compared to some of his contemporaries.

Manjrekar Takes Sharp Dig At Kohli's Slow Innings

Manjrekar’s criticism came through a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account where he shared a list of the top 10 batters in IPL 2025 based on runs scored with an impressive strike rate. The list included players like Nicholas Pooran, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Jos Buttler, and KL Rahul - all boasting strike rates well above 150. 

Notably, Virat Kohli was absent from this list, which was a clear indication of Manjrekar’s stance on Kohli’s relatively slower scoring pace despite his big runs.

The exact list Manjrekar posted

PlayerRunsStrike Rate
Nicholas Pooran377205
Priyansh Arya254202
Shreyas Iyer263185
Suryakumar Yadav373167
Jos Buttler356166
Mitchell Marsh344161
Travis Head261159
Heinrich Klaasen288157
KL Rahul323154
Shubman Gill305153

Kohli's Consistent Form This IPL

In contrast, Virat Kohli has been one of the most consistent performers for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025. Across 9 innings, Kohli has amassed 392 runs at an impressive average of 65.33. However, his strike rate stands at around 144.12, which, while respectable, falls short of the explosive rates posted by the players Manjrekar highlighted. 

Kohli’s approach has been more about building innings and providing stability, often pacing his innings carefully rather than going all out from the start.

Kohli’s performances this season include five half-centuries, with his highest score being 73 off 54 balls against Punjab Kings. His ability to anchor the innings and accelerate when needed has been crucial for RCB, who currently sit third in the points table. 

Despite Manjrekar’s critique, Kohli’s impact on the team’s success has been widely acknowledged, and Kohli will also try to keep up with the expectations too as they face Delhi Capitals on April 27.