Kevin Pietersen
Former England international cricketer, known for his aggressive batting and controversial nature.
Kevin Peter Pietersen (born 27 June 1980) is a former England international cricketer. He is regarded as one of England's greatest ever batsmen and renowned for his competitive, and often controversial, nature. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who played in all three formats for England between 2004 and 2014, which included a brief tenure as captain. He won the Player of the Series award for his performances in 2010 ICC World Twenty20 which helped England to win their maiden ICC trophy.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Kevin Peter Pietersen
- Born
- 27 June 1980
- Birthplace
- Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Batting
- Right-handed
- Bowling
- Right arm off break
- Role
- Top-order batter
- Country
- England
Lore & Background
Pietersen was born to an Afrikaner father and English mother in South Africa. He made his first-class debut for Natal in 1997 and moved to England in 2000, after voicing his displeasure at what he said was the racial quota system in South African cricket. He was called up by England almost immediately after he completed four years with Nottinghamshire. He made his international debut in the ODI match against Zimbabwe in 2004 and his Test debut in the 2005 Ashes series. Pietersen was captain of the England Test and ODI teams from 4 August 2008 to 7 January 2009, but resigned after just three Tests and nine ODIs following a dispute with the England coach Peter Moores. He last played for England in the 2013–14 Ashes and subsequent ODIs, after which he was informed that he was no longer being considered for international selection. He also played for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League until the end of BBL|07, the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League, the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in the CSA T20 Challenge, and was signed by the Rising Pune Supergiants for the 2016 season of the Indian Premier League.
Reader's Guide
Pietersen is one of the fastest batsmen to reach 1,000 ODI runs and still holds the record for being the fastest player to cross 2,000 runs in ODI cricket. He has the second-highest run total from his first 25 Tests, behind only Sir Don Bradman, and was the fastest player, in terms of days, to reach 4,000, 5,000 and 7,000 Test runs. He became only the third English batsman to top the ICC ODI rankings, doing so in March 2007. In July 2008, after a century against South Africa, The Times called him 'the most complete batsman in cricket' and in 2012 The Guardian called him 'England's greatest modern batsman'. On the occasion of England's 1000th Test in August 2018, he was named in the country's greatest Test XI by the ECB.
Did You Know?
- Pietersen was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, to an English mother and Afrikaner father.
- He married Liberty X singer Jessica Taylor on 29 December 2007.
- He has two children: a son born in 2010 and a daughter born in 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
What major batting records did Kevin Pietersen hold for Delhi?
He set a benchmark with the fastest century in IPL history at the time of his tenure and remains the player with the most runs for Delhi in a single season. Additionally, he reached an unbeaten 94 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2015 as his highest score for the franchise.
Did Kevin Pietersen ever captain the Delhi Capitals?
Yes, he served as the team captain during his final two seasons with the franchise starting from 2015. He led by example from the front line while wearing the armband.
More in Honours & Records
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