Kevin Pietersen has stepped down as the Delhi Capitals (DC) mentor. The former England captain had only joined the DC last year and worked extensively with youngsters. Ashutosh Sharma, in particular, spoke glowingly about Pietersen.
Delhi Capitals without mentor for IPL 2026
However, that relationship hasn’t lasted long. Earlier today, Pietersen took to X (formerly Twitter) to inform about his decision to leave since he can’t commit the time required for the role of DC mentor. But he’ll be present for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as a commentator.
“I cannot be a mentor for Delhi Capitals in this IPL season. I cannot 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.
Last year, Pietersen received flak from fans for leaving for a 1-week holiday midway. Just 3 matches in, he’d gone to the Maldives for a getaway. Upon his return, DC wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul jokingly poked him for leaving. Perhaps Pietersen wanted some downtime midway through the IPL 2026 season, and DC didn’t agree.
Whether DC appoints a new mentor is another question. Perhaps they don’t feel a need. Presently, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) don’t have a mentor either. They’ve previously employed Gautam Gambhir and Zaheer Khan, who left last year. DC have very little time, since they commence their campaign on March 1.
Delhi Capitals schedule (phase 1) for IPL 2026
| Match | Date | Day | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 01/04/26 | Wednesday | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Lucknow | 7:30 |
| 8 | 04/04/26 | Saturday | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Delhi | 3:30 |
| 14 | 08/04/26 | Wednesday | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Delhi | 7:30 |
| 18 | 11/04/26 | Saturday | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | Chennai | 7:30 |
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