When Kevin Pietersen cheekily called Ambati Rayudu a “joker” on air after the IPL 2024 final, it seemed like light-hearted banter. Pietersen, who had remained steadfast in purple supporting KKR, couldn’t resist pulling Rayudu’s leg after he switched from an orange waistcoat (SRH) to KKR color post-match.
Rayudu stayed the course, celebrating good cricket rather than picking sides. But over a year later, on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, the six-time IPL champion opened up about the incident, suggesting he could have easily questioned Pietersen’s own IPL contributions.
“I have at least held firm. I wore it and I owned it. You are a joker, always a joker,” Pietersen told Rayudu on air. “I am supporting both the teams. I am supporting good cricket,” Rayudu had responded.
Honest dig against Peitersen
Recalling the episode, Rayudu explained that he was only maintaining professionalism on air and not cheerleading for one franchise. The former CSK and MI batter revealed Pietersen later apologised, admitting the comment was over the line. “That day we had not picked teams. Chennai was hot, so I had two jackets. On air, he said whatever, but we could also tell him things because he played for RCB and did not do anything. I was maintaining professional decorum. He apologised later, also, for saying that on air. We were just having banter, but people took it in some way. But it affected him more and not me,” Rayudu said.
Rayudu’s career needs little introduction in IPL folklore. The middle-order batter won six IPL titles, three with Mumbai Indians and three with Chennai Super Kings, cementing his reputation as one of the most reliable Indian performers in franchise cricket. He finished with over 4,300 IPL runs across 200-plus matches, as he often provided the stability in the middle order.
Pietersen, by contrast, had a much shorter and less decorated IPL stint. He turned out for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2009 and 2010, later representing Delhi Daredevils and Rising Pune Supergiant. Across 36 matches, the former England captain scored 1,001 runs with a century and four fifties, but he never managed to lift the trophy. His time at RCB in particular was underwhelming, with only 329 runs in two seasons.
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