Kevin Pietersen pulls out of IPL

England Legend Pulls Out of IPL 2026, Takes Up New Role in the League

Sportsdunia Desk

Modified - Mar 14, 2026, 01:01 PM

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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is all set to begin from March 28. However, Delhi Capitals have already been dealt with a massive blow even before the start of the season.

The Capitals are one of the few teams who are yet to win the IPL title despite being a part of the league since its inception. This time, they would be hoping to turn things around but before that, they will have to cope up with the absence of their mentor, Kevin Pietersen, one of the greatest batsmen of all time.

Kevin Pietersen Pulls Out of IPL

The former England batter, Kevin Pietersen, served as the mentor of the side last year and was expected to continue the role this year as well. But he came up with a unique social media post, in Hindi, informing fans about his decision.

Pietersen stated that he won’t be able to fully commit himself for the entire season, which is the reason he is pulling out. However, he confirmed that he will be in the IPL commentators 2026 list.

"News: I will not be able to mentor the Delhi Capitals this season of the IPL. I cannot commit to the time required for the work. Best of luck to all the players this season! I will see you back in the comm box though! The IPL is the best league in the world and I can't wait to see you all soon!" Pietersen posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Kevin Pietersen Delhi Capitals presence and his bond with KL Rahul was one of the highlights of the IPL 2025 season. The duo kept taking a dig at each other but worked at the common goal.

However, they struggled to take their team to the title despite a solid start, where they won four games on the trot. They struggled in the latter half and eventually finished in the second half of the points table.

Delhi Capitals Aim to Win their IPL Trophy

Talking about the Delhi Capitals (DC), they are one of the few teams who are yet to win the IPL title despite being part of the league since its inception. With no Kevin Pietersen mentor in their team, they will be looking for someone else to take his spot. This time around, they would be hoping to turn things around and end their title drought after a no. of unsuccessful years.

Delhi Capitals, who will be captained by Axar Patel, roped in quite a few match-winners in the IPL 2026 auction. It’s fair to say that if they play to their potential, they can end their title drought and win the title and join the best teams in IPL. They will open their campaign against Lucknow Super Giants on April 1 at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.