Kevin Pietersen highlighted a point that resonated deeply with cricket fans. He highlighted the harsh reality that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma—two of India’s star cricketers—don’t have much time left in their international careers. At 36, Kohli and 37, Rohit, they both have more cricket behind them than ahead, and with their current form, their playing days may be winding down sooner than many expect.
Kevin Pietersen Delivers Harsh Reality
Speaking before the first ODI between India and England at Nagpur, he asserted that the players are not machines and are, like everyone, entitled to failing too. His next lines, however, were very truthful and emotional.
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“During a media interaction yesterday, I said that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are human. They, too, can fail. I mean, these are two modern-day all-time greats. And there will come a time when, soon there will be no Virat Kohli, no Rohit Sharma. It will be a sad day for Indian cricket. So savour them as much as you can,” Pietersen said while speaking to the official broadcaster.
Virat Kohli Injured
And it eventually seemed that Pietersen’s comment was almost prophetic. Kohli was missing from the match, as he had been suffering from a sore knee. Later pictures showed him favoring his right knee, which was heavily taped. Though he had done his pre-match drills, he was not as agile as he used to be, which indicated that something was wrong. Kohli hadn’t missed a match due to injury since January 2022 during the Centurion Test against South Africa. If he sat out now, it was clearly due to injury, not choice.
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Rohit, meanwhile, was fit and took the field. He was coming back to ODIs after a 183-day gap since India’s last ODI, which was a 0-3 defeat to Sri Lanka on August 7, 2024.
