• Home
  • Who Said What
  • If Kohli Had Come Manjrekar Questions Gills Aggression After Lords Defeat

"If Kohli Had Come...": Manjrekar Questions Gill's Aggression After Lord's Defeat

Sakshi Sharma

Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill (Source: AP)Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill (Source: AP)

As India faced a narrow 22-run defeat at Lord’s in the third Test of the five-match series against England, debate off the field has matched the intensity on it. With the series now tilted 2-1 in England’s favour, former India cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has reignited discussions around Virat Kohli’s impact by drawing a sharp comparison between Kohli and current Test captain Shubman Gill.

Kohli, who announced his retirement from Test cricket just before the series began, has remained a constant presence in cricket conversations. His absence was keenly felt during India’s fourth innings collapse at Lord’s, where they failed to chase down a modest target of 193.

Manjrekar Questions Gill's Aggression

Gill, who had lit up the second Test at Edgbaston with stunning knocks of 269 and 161, faltered under pressure at Lord’s, managing only 16 and 6 in the two innings. 

On Day 3, he engaged in a fiery exchange with England’s Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, an incident that Manjrekar believes added unnecessary pressure and distraction. The former cricketer did not hold back, suggesting that Gill’s aggression felt more performative than instinctive. This is different from Kohli’s natural, battle-hardened approach.

"If somebody wants to build a brand by saying, we are Indians, we are not less than anyone. That (The thought process) gets a lot of attention and mileage. I hope Shubman Gill wasn't doing it for that." He added, "What Virat Kohli did was second nature to him. His cricket and batting used to get enhanced by that. Shubman Gill, I'm not sure whether this (aggression) comes naturally to him. 


If Virat Kohli had come out to bat, he would have looked into the face of those people and got a hundred. But if you looked at Shubman Gill's body language, the man who has almost batted like Bradman, was so tentative. The way he batted in those 9 balls seemed like he had gotten a pair. That is a clear message to me that aggression may not be his natural demeanour or approach."

England, led by a spirited bowling performance, capitalised on the moment and wrapped up India’s innings in dramatic fashion to claim a 2-1 lead in the series. Now, all eyes turn to Old Trafford, where the fourth Test begins under high stakes for India. A loss there would mean the series is out of reach before the final Test.

While Gill’s Edgbaston heroics have earned him praise, questions have been raised about his consistency and leadership temperament, especially in high-pressure scenarios once dominated by Kohli.

India not only missed Kohli’s runs at Lord’s but also the mental steel and presence he brought to the field. Whether Shubman Gill can grow into that role or must find his own leadership style remains to be seen, but time and England are not waiting.