Kevin Pietersen with T20 World Cup praise for Harpreet Brar & a special message for Virat Kohli after RCB vs PBKS match in IPL 2024
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen is a part of the commentary panel for the IPL 2024 season and has been mesmerized by the quality of players such as Harpreet Brar and Virat Kohli.
He is excited to see just how many uncapped players use the stage to showcase their skills and feels Punjab Kings (PBKS) left-arm spinner Brar is one of them. Although PBKS lost the game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Monday (March 25), Brar was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/13 off four overs.
Kevin Pietersen took to X and urged the Indian selectors to keep an eye on Harpreet Brar as a dark horse for the 2024 T20 World Cup. He also hailed Virat Kohli for his match-winning knock of 77 (49).
"Goodness me, doesn't the IPL just serve up so much sporting joy? How good was Harpreet Brah (Brar) last night? Indian selectors MUST keep a close eye on him for the WC (T20 World Cup)! And my boy VK, you buddy, are more than joy," Pietersen wrote.
Kohli was on 0 when he edged one to Jonny Bairstow at first slip but the latter misjudged it as it burst through his hands for a boundary. It proved to be a massive moment in the game as Kohli was a master of yet another chase, helping RCB win with four balls to spare.
Virat Kohli apparently took a cheeky dig at Kevin Pietersen in post-match presentation
Several cricket pundits, including Kevin Pietersen, have been quite vocal about Virat Kohli's inclusion in India's T20 World Cup squad. However, their main reason for that seemed to be growing the game in the USA, given how big a name Kohli is in the sport.
However, in the post-match presentation ceremony, Kohli took a cheeky dig at these comments, saying he was still good enough to be selected in the shortest format on merit and not on reputation.
"I know my name is nowadays quite attached to promoting the game in different parts of the world in T20 cricket. But I have still got it I guess (laughs)," Kohli said.
Kohli now has 98 runs from two matches in the IPL 2024 season at an impressive strike rate of 142.02. This helped him pip Punjab's Sam Curran for the Orange Cap and he is the holder at the time of writing.