Kevin Pietersen Backs Varun Chakaravarthy’s Inclusion, Defends Kohli and Rohit

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has praised India’s decision to include spinner Varun Chakaravarthy in the ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against England, calling it “a great decision.” However, he believes the English batters will have a better chance against him in the longer format compared to T20Is.

Chakaravarthy played a pivotal role in India’s recent 4-1 T20I series win over England, claiming 14 wickets. His performances earned him a spot in the ODI squad, with the series set to begin in Nagpur on Thursday.

“The English batters would be better against him in the one-dayers because they can spend more time. It’s a longer format, not every ball is an event. But I think it is a great decision (to add Chakaravarthy),” Pietersen told the media in Mumbai.

England’s T20I Struggles and Concussion Controversy

Pietersen didn’t hold back in his assessment of England’s performance in the T20I series, calling their loss a “disaster.” He particularly pointed out the fourth match in Pune, where he felt England missed an opportunity to level the series due to a substitution issue.

“I think that in the fourth T20I, if the concussion substitution had been done correctly, maybe England would have got up there,” Pietersen said. “It would have been 2-2 coming to the Wankhede (for the final T20I). It would have been way more on the game. But it didn’t happen.”

Abhishek Sharma: The Next Yuvraj?

The former England star also heaped praise on young Indian batter Abhishek Sharma, who played a sensational knock in the T20I series. Pietersen even compared him to legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh.

“Abhishek is amazing. He had the shades (of Yuvraj)…. Obviously, Yuvraj is rubbing off now on Abhishek. His batting was fantastic. It was the best T20 international innings I’ve ever seen and I said that to him afterwards,” he said.

“It was effortless. The stroke play was great, there was no funky shot, no ramping, no sweeping, reverse sweeping. It was just perfection.”

IPL’s Growing Influence in English Cricket

Pietersen also welcomed the investment by Indian Premier League (IPL) team owners in English domestic cricket. Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants have recently acquired stakes in franchises participating in The Hundred tournament.

“At the end of the day, you are an absolute idiot if you don’t think India runs the world of cricket and anyone arguing against that clearly is deluded,” Pietersen said, acknowledging India’s dominance in the global cricketing landscape.

Support for Kohli and Rohit

Pietersen also defended under-fire Indian veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have faced criticism over their recent form. He called for respect towards the duo, reminding critics of the joy they have brought to cricket fans over the years.

“(It’s) unfair. How can you tell somebody who’s scored as many runs as these guys that they must retire? Yes, it’s a discussion and it’s a topic, I get it, but they deserve more respect than that.”

Drawing from his own experience with the British media, Pietersen empathized with Kohli and Rohit’s struggles.

“Having had exactly the same challenges in my career, it happens. Rohit and Virat are not robots. They don’t walk out there and get a hundred every time they bat. Maybe they had one bad Australian tour. Does that make them bad people? No. Does it make them bad cricketers? Absolutely not.”

With the ODI series against England set to begin, all eyes will be on Chakaravarthy’s performance, while fans will also hope for Kohli and Rohit to silence their critics with strong displays.