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In a major development ahead of IPL 2025, Delhi Capitals (DC) have announced former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen as their team mentor for the upcoming season. The announcement was made on Thursday, February 27 via the DC Fan Sabha App.
The 44-year-old will work alongside head coach Hemang Badani, assistant coach Matthew Mott, bowling coach Munaf Patel, and Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao. However, the franchise has yet to name its captain for the season.
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Pietersen’s Return to Delhi Capitals
Pietersen, who last played in the IPL in 2016, will be coaching for the first time. He had a long association with the league, playing from 2009 to 2016 for multiple teams, including Delhi (then known as the Daredevils).
The former England captain led RCB briefly in 2009 before captaining Delhi Daredevils for an entire season in 2014, where the team endured a tough campaign, finishing last in the standings with just two wins in 14 games.
Pietersen also led England in 15 international matches, including the 2008 Test series in India.
Strong Ties with Delhi Capitals
Pietersen has maintained a close relationship with Kiran Kumar Grandhi, chairman of GMR, co-owners of the Delhi Capitals franchise. In September 2023, he played a key role in brokering a historic agreement between GMR and Hampshire County Cricket Club.
In 2024, he and Grandhi were also spotted at the Utilita Bowl watching England play Australia in a T20I match.
Pietersen’s T20 Experience
Besides his IPL career, Pietersen has featured in top T20 leagues such as:
✅ Big Bash League (BBL)
✅ Pakistan Super League (PSL)
✅ Caribbean Premier League (CPL)
In 200 T20 matches, he amassed 5,695 runs at an impressive strike rate of 137 and an average of 33.89.
Delhi Capitals’ Squad Revamp for IPL 2025
After finishing sixth in IPL 2024, DC entered the auction with the largest purse among all ten teams, having released several high-value players. The franchise retained Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abishek Porel, and strengthened their squad by acquiring KL Rahul, Harry Brook, Faf du Plessis, and Mitchell Starc.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s sister franchise, Dubai Capitals, recently won the ILT20 title, marking the first-ever trophy for any Capitals team (men’s or women’s). The win came under the guidance of Badani, Rao, and Munaf Patel, the same support staff now leading Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025.
With Kevin Pietersen now joining as mentor, DC will be aiming for their first-ever IPL title in the upcoming season.
