Kevin Pietersen (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has stepped down as Delhi Capitals mentor ahead of the 19th season of the Indian Premier League. The 45-year-old said he will not be able to devote the time it requires to the role, although fans will still see him as a commentator during the tournament.Pietersen joined the franchise as a mentor in February last year for the 2025 season.
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In this role, he worked closely with the coaching staff that included Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao, Head Coach Hemang Badani, Assistant Coach Matthew Mott and Bowling Coach Munaf Patel.Pietersen confirmed his decision on social media, explaining that his schedule would not allow him to continue in the post. “I can’t mentor Delhi Capitals this IPL season,” he wrote on X. “I can’t commit to the time the job requires. I wish all the players the best this season! I’ll see you back in the comments box though! IPL is the best league in the world and I can’t wait to see you all soon!”Pietersen remains one of England’s most respected cricketers. He has scored over 8,000 runs in Tests and over 4,000 runs in ODIs during his international career with the England national cricket team. He also played 36 IPL matches for teams including Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (then Royal Challengers Bangalore), Sunrisers Hyderabad and Pune Warriors India, scoring 1,001 runs in the league. Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule, which will run from March 28 to April 12. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will open the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
