The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced one of the biggest moves heading into the 2027 ODI World Cup, appointing Kevin Pietersen as the white-ball mentor. The decision sees the former England captain returning to the Three Lions 12 years after he was infamously dropped, marking a controversial end to his international career. The 46-year-old is not new to mentoring, having previously served in the role for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Pietersen was Delhi's mentor for the 2025 edition of the T20 tournament, and midway through the season, he also left the camp for a holiday in the Maldives. This became a running joke within the team, and KL Rahul never shied away from reminding the England great of how he took a holiday midway through the season.
Rahul was once again quick to inquire about the Maldives as he dropped a witty comment on the Instagram post, which announced Pietersen's arrival in the England white-ball setup.
Also Read: Kevin Pietersen ends 12-year England exile, joins white-ball coaching setup for World Cup push
On the post of England Cricket on Instagram, Rahul commented, "Is the Maldives holiday included in the package? @kevinpietersen."
{{/usCountry}}On the post of England Cricket on Instagram, Rahul commented, "Is the Maldives holiday included in the package? @kevinpietersen."
{{/usCountry}}Even the official handle of Delhi Capitals pulled Pietersen's leg, saying, "What's a mentor?" In response to both comments, the former England batter could only drop laughing emojis.
All you need to know about Pietersen's appointment
Pietersen will now join white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum in the build-up to the ODI World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe next year. He will make his presence felt later this month when England take on Sri Lanka, and will join the backroom staff of McCullum, Marcus Trescothick, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel and Sarah Taylor.
He will also be involved in the upcoming white-ball tours to Australia and South Africa, then link up with the squad once again for the home series against Pakistan and New Zealand next summer before the ODI World Cup.
Speaking of Pietersen, he represented England in 136 ODIs and 37 T20Is, scoring more than 5,500 runs. “I am immensely proud to have been asked to help this team on their journey to win a World Cup in South Africa. Putting on the England uniform again for the first time since 2014 is a profound honour and a deeply special moment," he said in an official statement released by the ECB.
"We have an incredibly talented white-ball squad, and I am excited to get in the trenches and work relentlessly hard with these players to maximise their potential. To be a part of Brendon’s think tank over the next 12 months is a fantastic opportunity, and I cannot wait to get started," he added.