3 min readMar 14, 2026 05:05 PM IST
Former England player Kevin Pietersen, who was appointed as the mentor of the Delhi Capitals last year, posted on Saturday that he won’t be able to continue with the franchise in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.
“I can’t be the 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! Though I’ll see you back in the commentary box! IPL is the world’s best league and I can’t wait to see you all soon!,” Pietersen said on X in a post written in Hindi.
Delhi Capitals will start their IPL 2026 season against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekaran Stadium in an away game in Lucknow on April 1. Defending champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the season opener at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28.
🚨 समाचार 🚨
मैं आईपीएल के इस सीजन में दिल्ली कैपिटल्स के लिए मेंटर नहीं बन सकता।
मैं उस समय के लिए प्रतिबद्ध नहीं हो सकता, जो काम की आवश्यकता है।
सभी खिलाड़ियों को इस सीजन के लिए शुभकामनाएं! ❤️
हालांकि मैं आपको कॉम बॉक्स में वापस देखूंगा! आईपीएल दुनिया की सबसे अच्छी लीग है…
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) March 14, 2026
DC’s first game at home is against the Mumbai Indians on April 4. Delhi will also take on the Gujarat Titans at home on April 8 before flying to Chennai’s den for an away game.
Last year, Pietersen was named the DC mentor, featuring in a coaching assignment for the first time in the IPL since last featuring as a player in the league in 2016. Pietersen played for three IPL teams across five seasons from 2009, including Delhi (then Daredevils). He also led in 17 matches in the IPL. After leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru briefly in IPL 2009, Pietersen captained Daredevils in 2014 when they finished at the bottom of the league table with only two wins.
In a T20 career spanning 200 matches, Pietersen scored 5695 runs at an average of 33.89 and strike rate just below 137.
Delhi Capitals had a decent campaign in the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League, finishing fifth on the points table and narrowly missing out on the playoffs. Their chances took a hit after losing both league matches against Mumbai Indians, one in a one-sided contest and the other in a last-over thriller – which ultimately proved costly in the playoff race. However, Delhi will be hoping to take the next step in the upcoming campaign.
