"Multiply that by a thousand" - Kevin Pietersen claims Virat Kohli is far ahead of David Beckham in stardom

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen reckons that Team India's ace batter Virat Kohli is a much bigger star than football legend David Beckham.

Pietersen recently spoke about how Kohli has dealt with the immense pressure of expectations throughout his career. He also suggested that, due to his massive stardom in India, the former India captain's life is very different from that of other athletes.

Pieterson said on talkSport:

"You guys have covered football for a very long time and you understand the gravitas that a guy like David Beckham has in England. Multiply that by a thousand and that’s what Kohli’s life is in India. He can't do anything. The biggest stars, the Tendulkars, the Dhonis, the Kohlis, they live a completely different life.

"That weight of expectation of a billion people on his shoulders every single time he steps out in public is something that he's had to deal with and he's dealt with it remarkably well."

Virat Kohli was initially part of India's squad for the first two matches of the upcoming five-match home series against England. However, the 35-year-old has opted out of the first two games, citing personal reasons.

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"RESPECT IT" - Kevin Pietersen reacts to Virat Kohli making himself unavailable for the first two Tests against England

Virat Kohli has opted out of multiple matches in the recent past due to personal reasons. Apart from the upcoming first two Test matches against England, he also missed the T20I series opener against Afghanistan earlier this year.

In addition to that, he also skipped India's intra-squad match during the Men in Blue's South Africa tour. Following the announcement that Kohli won't feature in the first two Tests of the upcoming season, Kevin Pietersen urged fans to respect the seasoned campaigner's decision.

Taking to the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter), he wrote:

"If a sportsman pulls out for personal reasons, RESPECT IT! End of!"

The Test series opener between India and England will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, starting on Thursday, January 25.