Kevin Pietersen Steps Down as Delhi Capitals Mentor Ahead of IPL 2026, Returns to Commentary

New Delhi, March 2026 : Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has stepped down as mentor of Delhi Capitals ahead of the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), citing his inability to commit the time required for the role. However, the 45-year-old confirmed that fans will still see him during the tournament as he returns to the commentary box for the popular T20 league.

Pietersen, who was appointed mentor of the franchise in February last year for the 2025 season, worked closely with the team’s support staff during his tenure. The coaching setup included Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao, Head Coach Hemang Badani, Assistant Coach Matthew Mott and Bowling Coach Munaf Patel.

Announcing his decision on social media platform X, Pietersen explained that the demands of the position required more time than he could currently offer.

“I cannot be a mentor for Delhi Capitals in this IPL season. I can’t commit to the time that the job requires. Best wishes to all the players for this season! However, I’ll see you back in the commentary box! IPL is the world’s best league, and I can’t wait to see all of you soon,” Pietersen wrote.

The South Africa-born cricketer, who represented England at the international level, enjoyed a distinguished playing career. Over the years, he built a reputation as one of the most dynamic batters in world cricket. Pietersen played 104 Test matches, scoring 8,181 runs, and represented England in 136 One-Day Internationals, where he accumulated 4,440 runs.

In the T20 format, he featured in around 200 matches, amassing 5,695 runs. His achievements include playing a key role in England’s triumph at the 2010 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where he was named Player of the Series, helping the team secure its first ICC trophy.

During his stint in the IPL, Pietersen played 36 matches and scored 1,001 runs while representing franchises such as Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rising Pune Supergiants.

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced the schedule for the first phase of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. The tournament will begin on March 28 and run until April 12 in its initial phase.

The BCCI stated that the complete schedule will be announced later as several states are expected to hold Assembly elections during this period.

The opening match of IPL 2026 will feature defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

A total of 20 matches will be played during the first phase across 10 venues, including Mumbai, Guwahati, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.