Virat Kohli continues to be a stalwart at what he does. There’s hardly a better batsman across all three formats in the sport and few players can match the energy, enthusiasm, and aggression that Virat Kohli brings to the cricket field.
The fact that despite playing international cricket for over 12 years, Kohli continues to carry the same frenetic excitement in his game is hard to come to terms with. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen shed further light on this in a recent interview.
He recalled an interesting conversation he had with former Indian captain MS Dhoni when the two played for Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016. Apparently, Dhoni was curious about whether Virat could maintain the same level of energy and aggression in his cricket in the years to come.
“I remember running on a treadmill when I was playing for the Rising Pune Supergiant five or six years ago. MS Dhoni was saying, ‘One thing I am fascinated to watch over the years to come is whether Virat can really keep his energy, attacking nature and excitement intact on the field.’ And here we are 5-6 years later, and he is just like he was when he was a kid,” revealed Kevin Pietersen.
Pietersen went on to call Kohli ‘an absolute freak of an athlete.’ He also admires how the 32-year-old manages to be this intense despite his experience.
“The guy is an absolute freak show. He has managed to maintain his enthusiasm. He’s maintaining his attacking nature,” said Pietersen on the Star Sports show.
Furthermore, the former England batting great also recalled the time when he captained a young Virat Kohli in the inaugural season of the IPL. Royal Challengers Bangalore had signed Pietersen that season and the South African-born was thoroughly impressed with Kohli’s attitude and his interest in learning more and getting better.
“I remember captaining him at RCB and the same kid that walked around in 2008 is the same kid we are saying now. It is spectacular to see because he sets an example which Indian cricket has followed. His diet, athletic ability, fitness, professionalism, and his quest to continuously get better. He is just a hero for Indian cricket,” said Pietersen.
