NEW DELHI: Former England captain Kevin Pietersen recently lauded Virat Kohli‘s commitment to fitness, noting that Kohli’s influence has transformed his teammates into exceptional athletes and credited him for a remarkable turnaround in Indian cricket.
During his commentary stint in IPL 2024, Pietersen advocated for Kohli’s inclusion in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, emphasizing the positive impact it would have on the sport, regardless of Kohli’s individual performances.Following Royal Challengers Bengaluru‘s triumph over Punjab Kings on Monday, Kohli subtly asserted that he possesses the skills to excel in the T20 format and emphasized his desire to contribute actively to the game rather than solely focusing on its global expansion.
Following Kohli’s comments, which created a flutter, Pietersen told Star Sports, “One of the things that everyone will remember and will create the greatest memories as a player will be him finishing innings and being one the greatest finishers of all time.
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“One of the things that he has done for Indian cricket is he has turned Indian cricketers into athletes, out and out athletes, and while doing so, he’s not just talked the talk. He has walked the walk, and you can see that.”
Speaking about his commitment to his team, Pietersen added, “When he is running between the wickets, his full commitment, energy and desire is to be the best and he is the best.
“That starts before the field, that starts with diet, the energy he puts in the gym, with the sacrifices that he has made to walk the walk because when you talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.
“That’s what all the other players who have played under you are following you, watch you. The turnaround in Indian cricket is because of what he has done.”

AB de Villiers, the South African cricketing icon and former teammate of Kohli at RCB, also holds immense admiration for the Indian batting stalwart.
Speaking on JioCinema after Kohli’s match-winning 49-ball 76 on Monday night, De Villiers said, “I could see it in his eyes, this guy meant business tonight and nobody was going to stand in his way. Unfortunately, he didn’t finish it at the back end. He would have wanted to.
“Knowing him, he will be analysing tonight in his room, ‘Why didn’t I finish that game?’ He’s very hard on himself sometimes. He’s creeping up there on the list of most 50+ scores with the other guys in IPL history.
“He’s an amazing player, he played fantastically well tonight. He kept it together, kept them in the game. Well played, Virat.”
(With PTI inputs)