'A lot of people believe that he does it for the camera' - Sanjay Manjrekar spill beans over Virat Kohli's passion on the field

Published - 12 May 2026, 17:13 IST | Updated - 12 May 2026, 17:17 IST

Former India batter-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar is mesmerised by the energy Virat Kohli brings on the cricket field despite approaching the twilight of his illustrious career. The 37-year-old has made multiple instances on the field where he has shown his anger and aggression whilst representing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL).

Kohli is renowned across the world for being fiery on the field and not letting the opponent have an edge over him or his team. Many might argue that the right-handed batter only does it for the camera, which Manjrekar does not agree with. The former player-turned-expert stated how the aggression motivates him to perform well on the cricket field. However, even he thought that if passing age, the RCB star would reduce his energy levels, but that has not been the case this season.

"A lot of people, even players, believe that he does it for the camera. I beg to differ, because this is a guy I’ve seen even at the Under-19 level. This is how he plays the game, and that is what has driven him, even as a batter. When he gets angry with the opposition, he just plays better. I thought, at this age, he would calm down a little bit. But I’m seeing him take catches, pull off run-outs, and just have too much energy," Sanjay Manjrekar said on Sportstar’s Insight Edge Podcast.

There have been plenty of instances this season where Kohli has been at the centre of attention when fielding. One of the most vivid examples of his aggression on the field happened during RCB’s away game against the Gujarat Titans. Whilst fielding at extra cover, he took a sharp catch to dismiss Shubman Gill and, in the process, celebrated wildly and even threw the ball down in anger.

[WATCH] Kohli aggressive celebration after taking Gill catch

Kohli’s energy, however, is not only reserved for the field. He is also animated while sitting in the dugout when RCB are batting. This happened during the defending champion’s most recent IPL game against the Mumbai Indians in Raipur, where they secured a dramatic win off the last ball.