Former England captain Kevin Pietersen shares a great bond with star India batter Virat Kohli. The two even shared the dressing room for two seasons at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2009 and 2010. Throughout Kohli’s career, Pietersen has been one of his biggest admirers, and the latter always had the former’s back. During the recent-concluded ODI series between India and England, Kohli and Pietersen’s camaraderie was clearly evident as the two were often seen having conversations before and after the matches.

Pietersen, after the 3rd ODI in Ahmedabad, had also revealed that he and Kohli never discuss about cricket. With Kohli set to feature for the team in the Champions Trophy, Pietersen has backed his former RCB teammate to silence his critics, just like he has done in the past.

While speaking on Star Sports, Pietersen said: “He is one of the greats of the game. There have been too many people who have written him off on too many occasions. You can’t write these guys off because of the aura they have when they walk out to bat. The question mark comes down to Virat Kohli.”

“The question mark doesn’t come down to me, you, the selectors, the coaches, and the other players. Virat Kohli can only answer the question, in terms of how long he wants to continue, and how much fight he has to get better and to create those high standards that everybody expects from him,” he added.

Kohli recently gave a signed Indian cricket team jersey to Pietersen’s son Dylan. 

Pietersen took to Instagram of his son wearing a shirt from Virat, which had his autograph with “To Dylan, with best wishes” written on it.

“Got home and gave @dylanpietersenphotography a gift from @virat.kohli and it goes straight on! Fits like a glove. Thanks buddy!,” said Pietersen’s post caption.

Virat Kohli managed scores of 5 and 52 in the two ODIs he had played against England. He had missed the opening game in Nagpur due to a sore knee.

India’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy, 2025: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Non-travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube. The three players will travel to Dubai as and when required.

England suffered a disappointing 3-0 ODI series sweep at the hands of India on Wednesday. The side failed to challenge the Rohit Sharma-led side in any of the games and its batters looked clueless against the Indian spinners. While talking about the struggle of England batters, former India player Ravi Shastri pointed out that the players have had just one training session during the entire ODI series. Ex-England player Kevin Pietersen also slammed the players of his nation for taking ‘disrespecting Indian conditions’.

“From what I’ve heard, England have had just one net session this entire trip, if not any. If you’re not prepared to do the hard yards, you’re not going to improve,” said Shastri during commentary in third ODI.

Meanwhile, England great Pietersen said, “The 2-hour flight from Dubai across here. He (Tom Banton) was on the golf course yesterday. He wasn’t batting, and where have the issues come? The start, 1 for 60, 2 for 80. And then, what happens? None of them can play spin. And how do you improve playing spin?”

After the game, Pietersen revealed that he read an article where a journalist claimed that the England players could not have sufficient training due to injury concerns and the little gap after the T20I series that preceded the ODIs.

Notably, the India vs England T20I series concluded on February 2, while the ODI matches took place on February 6, 9 and 12.

“Just got sent an article where a leading UK journo has said that Shastri & I got it wrong last night when discussing England not training,” said Pietersen in a post on X.

“Reason – injuries and quick turnaround between games…!

“Do me a f*****g favour! Stop writing about cricket if you’re going to write such rubbish.

“Injuries are part of sport and this schedule is like every bilateral series almost ever played.

“Injuries are NOT stopping batters from batting against net bowlers and learning the art of playing spin. And that’s where they should have been to IMPROVE! Trust me on this one as it saved my career against spin!

“It seems the journos are in cahoots with what we’re trying to be brainwashed into believing! You won’t fool the fan with such!”

Just got sent an article where a leading UK journo has said that Shastri & I got it wrong last night when discussing England not training.

Reason – injuries and quick turnaround between games…!

Do me a f*****g favour! Stop writing about cricket if you’re going to write…

— Kevin Pietersen(@KP24) February 13, 2025

Both India and England now head up to the Champions Trophy that is set to kick off on February 19.

Representative image.© AFP

India’s successful run in the ongoing T20I series against England came to a sudden halt after they faced a shocking 26-run defeat in the third match. Playing in Rajkot, the hosts restricted England to 171/9 after opting to bowl first. However, in the chase, India kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and could manage only 145/9, falling short of 26 runs. The entire batting lineup of India miserably failed to put up a good show as Hardik Pandya‘s 35-ball-40-run knock became their only saving grace.

As the scoreline of the five-match series now reads 2-1 in the favour of the hosts, former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel slammed Hardik for his slow approach in the match.

“One cannot take 20-25 balls to get set in a T20I. Can’t take 20-25 balls to get set. I understand taking your time but you have to keep rotating the strike. Hardik may have ended up with 40 off 35, but there were a lot of dot balls at the start of his innings,” said Parthiv in the post-match show on Star Sports.

Apart from Parthiv, former England skipper Kevin Pietersen also questioned Team India’s decision of pushing Dhruv Jurel at No.8.

“India didn’t get the batting order right. Dhruv Jurel is an accomplished batter. Having him lower down the order for the left and right combination was not right. I’m a firm believer in your best batters batting up front,” said Pietersen.

“Left and right combination is alright till No.4 but after that you should send your best batters. Jurel is a proper batsman. He could have constructed a big innings,” he added.

Despite being on the losing side, India also had a silver-lining in spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who took a five-wicket haul. Chakravarthy has been a revelation for the T20I side since his return to the set-up last year, having last played for India in 2021 before that.

During the third T20I, Chakravarthy shined with figures of 5/24 in four overs, getting wickets of skipper Jos Buttler, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer.

Former England batter Kevin Pietersen on Thursday expressed interest in working as batting coach for Indian men’s team under head coach Gautam Gambhir. This development comes amid media reports that India is looking to strengthen their support staff with addition of a batting coach following a string of poor batting performances which cost India the home series against New Zealand, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia away from home and consequently the ICC World Test Championship final spot.

The current support staff to Gambhir does not have a batting coach. It includes assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan Ten Doeschate, ex-Indian and Netherlands cricketers, bowling coach and South African legend Morne Morkel and fielding coach T Dilip.

Responding to a report circulating on X about the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) looking for a batting coach, Pietersen replied,” Avaliable”

Available!

— Kevin Pietersen???? (@KP24) January 16, 2025

If Team India does get a batting coach, their biggest tasks could include helping superstars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli overcome their form slump and rediscover their genius, help Shubman Gill gain consistency in long format of the game and boost up batting skills of tailenders, who often end up scoring some difference making runs.

Coming to Pietersen, he represented England in 104 Tests, making 8,181 runs at an average of 47.28, with 23 centuries and 35 fifties. His best score is 227.

In ODIs, the swashbuckling right-hander made 4,440 runs in 136 matches at an average of 40.73, with nine centuries and 25 fifties to his name. His best score in the format is 130.

Coming to T20Is, the master of the “switch hit” made 1,176 runs in 37 matches at an average of 37.93 and a strike rate of above 141. His best score in the format is 79 and he made seven fifties in the format.

He was the winner of 2010 ICC T20 World Cup with England and emerged as its ‘Player of the Tournament’ with 248 runs in six matches with two fifties to his name.

With 13,779 runs in 275 matches, 32 centuries and 67 fifties, he is the third-highest run-getter of all time for England.

Former cricketers Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ravi Shastri, Kevin Pietersen and Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday extended their New Year greetings as the world stepped into 2025. Taking to X, Yuvraj Singh said that it’s a new year with new goals and same unstoppable spirit. “New year, new goals, same unstoppable spirit all my love and wishes for everyone to have the most amazing 2025,” Yuvraj Singh wrote on X. India head coach Gautam Gambhir wished everyone health, happiness and prosperity on New Year. “Wishing health, happiness and prosperity to all,” Gambhir wrote on X.

New year, new goals, same unstoppable spirit all my love and wishes for everyone to have the most amazing 2025! #HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/zWW0CTwC4U

— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) December 31, 2024

Wishing health, happiness and prosperity to all! #HappyNewYear

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) January 1, 2025

Wish you all a very happy new year. Have a great year with great health & new excitement pic.twitter.com/LENR290hKI

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 31, 2024

Happy New Year pic.twitter.com/xjO02ibi4j

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) January 1, 2025

Wishing you all the best 2025!

Happiness, health, love and success!

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) December 31, 2024

India welcomed the year 2025 with celebrations across the country, as people in various cities marked the occasion with joy and enthusiasm. New Year celebrations began in many cities with parties, cultural events, live music performances, and themed decorations.

In Delhi, famous spots like Hauz Khas, Connaught Place, and Lajpat Nagar were filled with large crowds celebrating the New Year. To ensure a safe celebration, Delhi Police made prior security arrangements.

In Punjab’s Amritsar, people gathered at the Golden Temple to welcome the New Year. Hotels in many cities also hosted special celebrations for the occasion. In Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal, people were seen dancing in the streets as they welcomed 2025. Similarly, in Lucknow, people danced and celebrated as the clock struck midnight.

As the New Year arrived, many cities witnessed spectacular fireworks displays. In Mumbai, beaches like Juhu Beach, Chowpatty Beach, and Versova Beach were packed with revellers. People also gathered at Marine Drive to watch the fireworks.

Meanwhile, in Himachal Pradesh’s Manali, a popular tourist destination, crowds danced and cheered in the streets. In West Bengal, people celebrated with lights flashing from their mobile phones. In Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram, fireworks lit up the sky, marking the arrival of the New Year.

In Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam, people also celebrated by cutting cakes. In Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore, percussion instruments were played in the streets, while Chennai witnessed a huge crowd celebrating the occasion.

Virat Kohli’s on-field theatrics have taken centerstage in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the Indian superstar making headlines for his fiery confrontations, a costly run-out mix-up, and his resilience with the bat. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen, came out in support of Kohli, praising the 36-year-old for bringing theatre to the game. The drama began on the opening day of the fourth Test when Kohli collided with Australian debutant Sam Konstas during a fiery moment on the field. The 19-year-old Konstas, unfazed by the incident, exchanged words with Kohli, escalating the tension. As Kohli turned back to confront Konstas, umpire Michael Gough and Usman Khawaja had to intervene to defuse the situation.

“Virat creating theatre down under! Let’s GO! Imagine how boring it would be without the Showman! And he’s earned EVERYTHING with his runs over his career! Many would end their successful international careers with a 1/4 of what he’s achieved….” Pietersen posted on X.

Virat creating theatre down under! Let’s GO!

Imagine how boring it would be without the showman! And he’s earned EVERYTHING with his runs over his career!

Many would end their successful international careers with a 1/4 of what he’s achieved….

— Kevin Pietersen(@KP24) December 27, 2024

The International Cricket Council (ICC) fined Kohli 20% of his match fee and handed him a demerit point for the incident. While the penalty was relatively light, the incident divided opinions, with some condemning Kohli’s aggression and others defending it as part of his competitive spirit.

Kohli’s troubles compounded on the second day, first with a run-out involving Yashasvi Jaiswal. The pair had forged a solid 102-run partnership, but a communication breakdown proved disastrous. Jaiswal, batting beautifully on 82, flicked Scott Boland towards mid-on and set off for a single. Kohli, however, didn’t respond, leaving Jaiswal stranded and run out at the non-striker’s end.

The mix-up appeared to rattle Kohli, who was dismissed shortly after for 36, nicking a delivery from Boland. His departure triggered a collapse, as India fell from 153/2 to 164/5 by stumps, trailing Australia by a massive 310 runs.

India’s position in the Test looks precarious. After Australia posted a mammoth 474, thanks to Steve Smith’s sublime 140, India’s late collapse has put them on the back foot. Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant, the unbeaten batsmen, hold the key to India’s hopes of a fightback on Day 3. Lower-order contributions from Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar could also be vital in narrowing the deficit.

Under-fire Team Pakistan invited more trouble for itself after losing the first Test of the two-match series against Bangladesh by 10 wickets on Sunday. It was Pakistan’s first-ever defeat against Bangladesh in the longest format. Pakistan, who were already going through numerous changes after their debacle in the ODI and the T20 World Cup, are once again in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. From wrong team selection to poor decision making, Pakistan failed in all aspects during the match.

Shan Masood and co are facing a lot of backlash from many former cricketers for their poor outing. Recently, former England skipper Kevin Pietersen also expressed shock at Pakistan’s dismal show. 

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Pietersen wrote, “What happened to cricket in Pakistan? When I played the PSL, the standard of that league was tremendous, the players had a very good work ethic and the youngsters on display were magic. What’s happening there?”

What happened to cricket in Pakistan? When I played the PSL, the standard of that league was tremendous, the players had a very good work ethic and the youngsters on display were magic.

What’s happening there?

— Kevin Pietersen(@KP24) August 26, 2024

Earlier, ignored Pakistan star, Ahmad Shehzad also didn’t mince words in his criticism on social media, calling it an “all-time low”.

“I haven’t seen Pakistan go this low in my life. Batting, bowling and fielding is a discussion for another day. But this is a new low in Pakistan cricket. It will be very tough for them to recover from this defeat. They haven’t recovered from the defeat against Afghanistan until today,” Shehzad said in a video shared on social media.

“I had said this before as well, Pakistan team is already heading towards darkness, so you cannot take short-term decisions. The situation is just like hockey. Even so, we never expected that Pakistan will lose to Bangladesh, but they have done that as well. Pakistan’s players are not at fault. The cricket board is responsible.

“Players never force anyone to put them in the team. It’s the board that keeps playing them and is not allowing domestic players to come in. If you don’t have domestic players who can replace the existing lot, then what have you done so far?,” he added, questioning the functioning of the PCB.

Former Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians batter Ambati Rayudu has been a man in the headlines ever since the Royal Challengers Bengaluru were knocked out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign. Rayudu didn’t hesitate in taking a swipe at the Bengaluru franchise for the manner in which it is run while also targeting Virat Kohli in a subtle manner, suggesting it’s not the Orange Cap that wins a team the IPL title but collective effort. Rayudu’s most recent attempt targeting RCB came after the IPL 2024 final, where he got involved in a banter with former England captain Kevin Pietersen on Live TV.

Pietersen, in reaction to Rayudu’s ‘Orange Cap’ dig at Kohli, was caught calling the former India star a ‘joker’, with the incident going viral on social media. However, Pietersen has now issued clarification.

“Come on guys! This tribalism with/against Indian players on social media needs to slow down!

Example – @RayuduAmbati and I were messing around after the IPL final and all of a sudden that banter has turned into an avalanche of abuse towards Ambati.

PLEASE stop it?,” he wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Come on guys!

This tribalism with/against Indian players on social media needs to slow down!

Example – @RayuduAmbati and I were messing around after the IPL final and all of sudden that banter has turned into an avalanche of abuse towards Ambati.

PLEASE stop it?

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) May 28, 2024

Here’s how the full conversation unfolded between Rayudu, Pietersen and the broadcaster’s pundit after the IPL 2024 final:

Rayudu: When you have a stalwart and a legend like Virat Kohli, who has set really high standards, it’s very hard for the youngsters to be in a side like that and try and match his standard because he always wants the team to be performing at his level.

Pietersen: No, it should be good for youngsters…

Rayudu: But sometimes the burden of really trying to be Virat Kohli in a sport where you know nobody is going to be like him.

Mayanti Langer: But didn’t Patidar step up to the plate?

“Patidar can only be a Patidar but not a Virat Kohli, and I think RCB, as a management, understands that you cannot have 11 Virat Kohli in the team. You need to have 1 Virat Kohli with 10 others being themselves, having their own identities and strengths and weaknesses. And you need to use them well in terms of resources,” Rayudu said.

“You can’t expect somebody to win the game in the first season. You need to give him that leeway and time to grow into a match-winner. So I think the management has its task out, and even Virat Kohli needs to ease his standards a bit when it comes to youngsters, nurturing them, and letting them go.”

File photo of Virat Kohli© AFP