'You are talking about legends like Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Dravid and Virat. Rohit does not fit in there.'
Sanjay Manjrekar stirred controversy by stating that Rohit Sharma doesn't deserve a place in India's all-time batting greats because of his limited impact in Test cricket.
Rohit, who led India to the T20 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy titles along with the 2023 ODI World Cup finals, is regarded as one of the greats in white ball cricket.
Rohit, who also led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles, has a incredible record in white ball cricket. He has scored 32 centuries in 273 ODIs -- the third highest by any player -- while amassing 11,168 runs at an average of 48.76.
He is the only player in the history of One Day Internationals to score three double centuries -- including a World record highest individual knock of 264 -- against Sri Lanka in Kolkata in 2014.
However, he failed to make the same impact in Test cricket, amassing 4,301 runs in 67 Tests at an average of 40.57, with 12 centuries.
'Rohit Sharma doesn't fit in India's all-time batting greats because you are talking about legends like (Sunil) Gavaskar, (Sachin) Tendulkar, (Rahul) Dravid and Virat (Kohli). Rohit does not fit in there,' Manjrekar said on the Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan.
Manjrekar, who played 37 Tests and 74 ODIs for India, hailed Rohit as a selfless captain who always placed the team before himself.
'But if you are talking about one-day cricket, or selflessness, or captaincy, then you have to mention Rohit Sharma. I have observed that, despite losing in the 2023 World Cup (final), the affection of the people for Rohit went to another level because they saw that he was never thinking about himself."
"He was willing to sacrifice his own interests for the team and his team-mates. That's his speciality,' Manjrekar added.
'The way he has easily dominated in limited overs cricket, he almost scored 300 in an ODI, it has been very pleasing to watch."
"But when we are talk of all-time Indian batting greats, Test cricket holds more weight. I don't think he made a big impact in Tests.'