Delhi Capitals can't keep calm after Kevin Pietersen entertains idea of mentoring CSK after horror start, poke KL Rahul

A fan requested CSK management to bring Kevin Pietersen on board as mentor. Here's what the England great said.

Updated on: Apr 7, 2026, 16:13:30 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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The five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), have gotten off to a shocking start in the 2026 edition, losing their first three matches. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side are at the bottom of the points table and are yet to open their account in the points tally. The side has been found wanting across all three departments of the game, and the performance has left much to be desired. Skipper Gaikwad and head coach Stephen Fleming have come under a lot of criticism for the recent shellacking against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), where CSK conceded 250 runs with the ball.

A fan requested CSK to make Kevin Pietersen the mentor of CSK. (PTI)

Amid the ongoing struggles, a fan took to social media to make a humble plea to the CSK management, asking to rope in Kevin Pietersen, the former England batter, as the mentor. It is worth noting that KP was the mentor of the Delhi Capitals last season, but in IPL 2026, he chose to skip the role and return to the commentary box.

Also Read: 'MS Dhoni never approved' CSK's flawed tactic in RCB thrashing: 'More than a bad plan, they just stuck to it'

Last year, Pietersen made quite a few headlines after he took a trip to the Maldives midway through the IPL 2025 season. The former England captain namedropped the Maldives once again in his response to the fan's request.

Responding on X (formerly Twitter), Pietersen said, “Yes, please. It’s closer to Maldives. Easier travel for me.”

After the 45-year-old's response, the Delhi Capitals also jumped into the conversation and tagged KL Rahul. Pietersen and Rahul formed quite a bond last season, and the duo were often seen joking around with each other.

CSK's struggles

The CSK have struggled so far without MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis. The five-time champions lost the opening three matches against the Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and RCB. Both Dhoni and Brevis are expected to be fit for the upcoming match against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday, April 11.

Dhoni is slated to undergo a fitness test in the coming few days, and if he clears it, he will definitely take the field against Delhi. After CSK's loss to RCB, CSK head coach Fleming said Brevis is tracking well and is expected to recover in time for the contest against Delhi.

CSK have been having a torrid time over the last three seasons. Last year, the franchise finished at the bottom of the points table for the first time in their history.

On the other hand, the Capitals have won their first two matches, beating the Lucknow Super Giants and the Mumbai Indians. Before taking on CSK, the Axar Patel-led side would take on the Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday, April 8.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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