Courtesy: Google/DC
Delhi Capitals (DC) have appointed former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen as the team mentor ahead of the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. The announcement was made on the official X account of Delhi Capitals on Thursday, February 27, confirming the return of Kevin Pietersen to a franchise for whom he played for in 2012 and 2014, and now, he will be working alongside head coach Hemang Badani, assistant coach Matthew Mott, and director of cricket Venugopal Rao in the IPL this year.
Notably, Kevin Pietersen will also be dealing with Sourav Ganguly, who is now the director of cricket of the JSW Group, who co-owns the Delhi Capitals franchise. After parting ways with Ricky Ponting following the conclusion of the last IPL season, DC have overhauled their coaching staff before bringing in the likes of Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao, and now they have signed Kevin Pietersen as team mentor.
I've got incredible memories of representing the Delhi franchise in the IPL: Kevin Pietersen
After becoming the team mentor at DC, Kevin Pietersen spoke about his passion for the franchise despite playing only a couple of seasons for them in the IPL over a decade ago. He was quoted as saying, as per India Today, “I've got incredible memories of representing the Delhi franchise in the IPL, and I’ve been able to maintain that passion for the team even as a broadcaster over the years. I shared the field with Venu (Venugopal Rao) during the 2012 season, and it’s great to be reconnecting with him as we begin a new chapter at this amazing franchise.”
When Kevin Pietersen was presented with the opportunity to be a part of the Delhi Capitals setup, he had no hesitation in accepting the offer. He remarked, “I’ve got a great relationship with the owners and the Delhi Capitals fans, so when this idea came about, it was a very quick YES from me. It’s an exciting opportunity to step into this new role as a mentor for the Capitals, and I'm really looking forward to joining the squad, working closely with the boys, and doing everything I can to help us win that ultimate prize.”
Apart from playing for Delhi Capitals in the IPL, he was also a part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS), playing in five seasons from 2009 to 2016.
