Kevin Pietersen (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has stepped down as mentor of Delhi Capitals ahead of the 19th season of the Indian Premier League. The 45-year-old said he would not be able to give the role the time it demands, though fans will still see him during the tournament as a commentator.Pietersen had joined the franchise as a mentor in February last year for the 2025 season.

In that role, he worked closely with the coaching staff that included Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao, head coach Hemang Badani, assistant coach Matthew Mott and bowling coach Munaf Patel.Confirming his decision on social media, Pietersen explained that his schedule would not allow him to continue in the position. “I cannot be a mentor for Delhi Capitals in this IPL season,” he wrote on X. “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 remains one of England’s most recognised cricketers. During his international career with the England national cricket team, he scored more than 8,000 runs in Tests and over 4,000 runs in ODIs. He also played 36 IPL matches for teams including Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (then Royal Challengers Bangalore), Sunrisers Hyderabad and Pune Warriors India, scoring 1,001 runs in the league. Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule, which will run from March 28 to April 12. The season will begin with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru facing Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.