New Delhi, Feb 27 – Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has been appointed as the mentor of Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. This marks his return to the franchise he captained in 2014 and his first coaching assignment in the IPL.
Expressing his excitement, the 44-year-old took to social media platform X, stating, “I’m so excited to come home to Delhi! I have the fondest memories of my time with Delhi. I love the city, I love the fans, and I’ll do everything I can to support the franchise in our quest for the title in 2025.”
Pietersen, a veteran of 200 T20 matches with 5,695 runs, played in the IPL between 2009 and 2016. Across 36 IPL matches, he accumulated 1,001 runs while representing Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the now-defunct Pune franchise.
At DC, Pietersen will be part of a revamped coaching unit, working alongside Hemang Badani, who was appointed head coach in October 2024, assistant coach Matthew Mott, bowling coach Munaf Patel, and director of cricket Venugopal Rao.
Delhi Capitals, yet to win an IPL title, came closest in 2020 when they finished as runners-up to Mumbai Indians. In the previous season, DC secured a sixth-place finish, leading to significant changes in leadership and squad composition. The franchise parted ways with captain Rishabh Pant but retained key players such as Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abishek Porel.
During the IPL auction last year, Delhi Capitals had the largest purse and made high-profile acquisitions, including KL Rahul, Harry Brook, Faf du Plessis, and Mitchell Starc.
The team also overhauled its coaching setup, bringing in former Indian cricketer Hemang Badani as head coach, replacing Australian legend Ricky Ponting. Additionally, former Indian pacer and 2011 World Cup winner Munaf Patel replaced James Hopes as the bowling coach.
Delhi Capitals will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Visakhapatnam on March 24.
Expressing his excitement, the 44-year-old took to social media platform X, stating, “I’m so excited to come home to Delhi! I have the fondest memories of my time with Delhi. I love the city, I love the fans, and I’ll do everything I can to support the franchise in our quest for the title in 2025.”
Pietersen, a veteran of 200 T20 matches with 5,695 runs, played in the IPL between 2009 and 2016. Across 36 IPL matches, he accumulated 1,001 runs while representing Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the now-defunct Pune franchise.
At DC, Pietersen will be part of a revamped coaching unit, working alongside Hemang Badani, who was appointed head coach in October 2024, assistant coach Matthew Mott, bowling coach Munaf Patel, and director of cricket Venugopal Rao.
Delhi Capitals, yet to win an IPL title, came closest in 2020 when they finished as runners-up to Mumbai Indians. In the previous season, DC secured a sixth-place finish, leading to significant changes in leadership and squad composition. The franchise parted ways with captain Rishabh Pant but retained key players such as Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abishek Porel.
During the IPL auction last year, Delhi Capitals had the largest purse and made high-profile acquisitions, including KL Rahul, Harry Brook, Faf du Plessis, and Mitchell Starc.
The team also overhauled its coaching setup, bringing in former Indian cricketer Hemang Badani as head coach, replacing Australian legend Ricky Ponting. Additionally, former Indian pacer and 2011 World Cup winner Munaf Patel replaced James Hopes as the bowling coach.
Delhi Capitals will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Visakhapatnam on March 24.
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