IPL 2025: Pietersen Enthusiastic About His New Role as DC Mentor

New Delhi, Feb 27 (NationPress) Following his appointment as the mentor for Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2025, former England skipper Kevin Pietersen expressed his enthusiasm about embracing this new challenge.

Pietersen, aged 44, joins the coaching team that includes head coach Hemang Badani, cricket director Venugopal Rao, bowling coach Munaf Patel, and assistant coach Matthew Mott. Recently, Badani, Rao, and Patel played pivotal roles in coaching Dubai Capitals to the ILT20 title, marking the first trophy earned by a Capitals team in any men's or women's T20 franchise competition.

This role marks Pietersen's inaugural venture into coaching, as he has primarily focused on commentary in his post-playing career. The former right-handed batsman represented DC, previously known as Delhi Daredevils, during the 2012 and 2014 IPL seasons, accumulating 305 and 294 runs respectively.

During his time with the franchise, he captained the team in 17 matches, but the DC finished at the bottom of the points table in IPL 2014 with only two victories from 14 games.

"I cherish the incredible memories from my time with the Delhi franchise in the IPL, and my passion for the team has remained strong over the years as a broadcaster. I played alongside Venu (Venugopal Rao) in the 2012 season, and it’s fantastic to reconnect with him as we embark on this new chapter with this extraordinary franchise," Pietersen stated in a release from the franchise on Thursday.

“I maintain a great rapport with the owners and the fans of Delhi Capitals, so when this opportunity arose, it was an immediate YES from my side. I am thrilled to take on the role of mentor for the Capitals, and I eagerly anticipate joining the squad, collaborating with the players, and doing everything possible to clinch the ultimate prize,” he added.

In total, Pietersen played 36 IPL matches, scoring 1001 runs across his tenures with DC, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the now-defunct Pune franchise. A former captain of England, he won the Player of the Tournament award for leading England to their inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup victory in 2010 in the West Indies.

"We are excited to have KP as our team mentor. He has a history with Delhi, having played for us in the IPL before, and we are thrilled to welcome him back in this new capacity. We believe his extensive experience, tactical acumen, and passion for the franchise will be immensely beneficial for our team and our players," remarked Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Chairman & co-owner of DC.

Throughout their IPL history, DC has reached the finals only once, finishing as runners-up in the 2020 season. In IPL 2024, they secured a sixth-place finish in the points table. Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auctions, the team retained players like Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abishek Porel, while adding talents such as KL Rahul, Harry Brook, Faf du Plessis, and Mitchell Starc.

DC, alongside the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, is one of the two teams yet to appoint a captain for IPL 2025. They are set to kick off their IPL 2025 season against Lucknow Super Giants, captained by former DC skipper Rishabh Pant, at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on March 24.