'Soon there'll be no Virat Kohli, no Rohit Sharma': Kevin Pietersen delivers 'sad' news
The Indian cricket team and fans were dealt a brutal reality check when Kevin Pietersen decided to speak the truth.
Life is full of inevitable moments, but Kevin Pietersen on Thursday touched upon a topic that is sure to strike a nerve among cricket fans when he mentioned that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – the two quintessential superstars of Indian cricket, do not have much time left to serve their country. Kohli is 36, and Rohit, 37. They have more cricket behind them than in front, and given the kind of form they are on, the end could be nearer than many envisioned. But despite being aware of the obvious, the way Pietersen said that India cricket doesn't have Kohli and Rohit for too long was a jolt out of the blue.
Ahead of the toss in the 1st India vs England ODI in Nagpur, Pietersen, when asked about what Rohit and Kohli's returns to the 50-overs format mean, the captain reiterated that the two players are 'no robots' and that, like any other player, Ro-Ko too should be allowed to fail. However, what he said next can easily qualify as a tear-jerker.
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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.
No Virat Kohli today after all
Pietersen's statement partially came true. There was no Kohli after all, after news emerged that Virat was carrying a sore knee, which put him out of action from the Nagpur ODI. As visuals later emerged, Kohli was favouring his right knee, which was heavily taped. He went about his drills in the lead-up to the game but looked far from his usual agile best. He was nimble-footed, enough evidence to suggest that something was wrong with Kohli. He hasn't missed a match due to injury since the Centurion Test against South Africa in January 2022. Hence, if he has today, there's nothing he could have done.
But while Kohli sits out, Rohit is fit and raring to go. The India captain returns to ODIs after a gap of 183 days – India last played the format on August 7, 2024 – resulting in a 0-3 drubbing for him and the team against Sri Lanka. He, for one, will surely bat, much to the delight of the Nagpur crowd, but it will take some time as Jos Buttler won the toss and opted to bat.
