People were foolish not to back Virat Kohli, says Kevin Pietersen

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen on Friday said that “people were foolish not to back” Virat Kohli after the Delhi cricketer notched up his 75th international century during the Ahmedabad Test against Australia earlier in March. Pietersen went on to laud Kohli, saying that the former India captain was “passionate and abrasive” about his game. “Virat, I’ve known for a very long time. The way that he plays the game. So passionate, so abrasive, so emotional. I think Covid hurt him. I said it to him. “Just chill, dude, it’s Covid, you’re an entertainer. You cannot play with three people and their dog watching you play cricket”, Pieterson wrote on his blog for Betway. Virat Kohli had endured a tough time in the first half of 2022, before notching up his 71st international ton during an Asia Cup T20 game against Afghanistan in September last year. And against Australia in Ahmedabad earlier in March, he registered his first Test century since November 2019. Meanwhile, Pietersen also wished the players taking part in Australia a ‘best of luck’, recalling his discussions with AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. “All the best players know, they block out their two months of the year, that’s when they’re going to go and do their service. There’s a lot of pressure. I remember speaking to De Villiers and Kohli about this three or four years ago. They say it’s like the Champions League. These guys are turning up knowing this is not just a free ride to go and earn a quick buck. They really have to perform,” added the 42-year-old. The IPL 2023 begins with a contest between defending champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.