The Delhi Daredevils Indian Premier League franchise has appointed the ostracized England cricketer Kevin Pietersen as captain for this year’s tournament as the team from the capital looks to win the IPL for the first time.
Pietersen, England’s highest run scorer in all forms of cricket, was put out to pasture by his national team earlier this year as England looked to rebuild following its disastrous tour of Australia. English cricket fans will debate the merits of that decision long after the 33 year-old retires, but his exile from the national team has freed him to play through the IPL without being called up for England duty.
This fact wasn’t lost on the Delhi Daredevils, for whom Pietersen has played before. “The Daredevils’ strategy of team building had revolved around Pietersen ever since it was clear that the former England captain was available for the entire duration of the tournament,” the franchise said in a statement last week.
At the IPL player auction in February, the Delhi Daredevils matched a 90 million rupee ($1.5 million) bid from a rival team for Pietersen, making him the most expensive foreign player in the league. Yuvraj Singh was the most expensive player overall, signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for 140 million rupees, while wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik was second. He was signed by the Delhi Daredevils for 125 million rupees and will be vice-captain of the team.
South African-born Pietersen has become an outcast of English cricket, but he remains popular among fans in that country. Still, the fervor that greets him there is nothing compared to India, where he is a superstar. The cheers Pietersen receives in Indian stadiums tend to be just as loud as those directed at local players (apart from Sachin Tendulkar and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, of course.)
Pietersen leads a new-look Delhi franchise into this year’s IPL, which runs from April 16 to June 1 and includes an overseas detour. Delhi decided not to retain stalwarts like Virender Sehwag, Mahela Jayawardene and David Warner for this season. The team still looks strong though, with new arrivals like Murali Vijay, Mohammad Shami, Manoj Tiwary, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ross Taylor and J.P. Duminy giving it balance and firepower.
It also has Gary Kirsten — the man who led India to World Cup glory in 2011 — as coach.
It’s hard to predict who might win the IPL, which has eight teams drenched with great talent from around the world. But the Delhi Daredevils should be among the favorites for the title this year with Pietersen at the helm and with a point to prove.
