Listen to this article

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has shown interest in becoming the batting coach for the Indian men’s cricket team. Pietersen, well-known for his successful cricket career, expressed his willingness to join the Indian support staff via a social media post on platform X, where he noted his availability for the role.

Currently, the Indian men’s cricket team is led by head coach Gautam Gambhir. Assisting him are Abhishek Nayar and Ryan Ten Doeschate, who serve as the assistant coaches. The team also includes Morne Morkel and T. Dilip, who are responsible for bowling and fielding coaching, respectively.

Pietersen’s interest in the position comes at a time when the Indian team could benefit from additional support following recent setbacks. The team experienced a disappointing 0-3 series loss to New Zealand at home and a 1-3 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. These losses led to India missing a spot in the 2025 ICC World Test Championship final, which will be contested by Australia and South Africa.

Kevin Pietersen boasts an impressive career record. In Test cricket, he played 104 matches, scoring a total of 8181 runs at an average of 47.29, including 23 centuries and 35 half-centuries. His one-day international career includes 4440 runs in 136 matches, with an average of 40.73, including nine centuries. Additionally, in T20 Internationals, Pietersen accumulated 1176 runs across 37 matches with an average of 37.94 and seven fifties. Notably, he was awarded Player of the Tournament during England’s victory in the 2010 Men’s T20 World Cup.

Previously, Sanjay Bangar served as India’s batting coach from 2014 to 2019, with Vikram Rathour taking over until the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup win. With current form concerns surrounding key players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, having a dedicated batting coach is deemed essential. Other names circulating as potential candidates for this role include W.V Raman, Sitanshu Kotak, and Hrishikesh Kanitkar.

Kevin Pietersen’s credentials and his expressed interest could make him a strong candidate for enhancing India’s batting performance.

Share this post!