Follow UsDelhi Capitals and Kevin Pietersen was one of those marriages that ended far too early despite showcasing plenty of promise, with the legendary right-hander, during his playing days, lasting just two years in DC. It happened in spite of the fact that he scored 672 runs in 22 innings for the franchise at an average over 37. He also captained one of the two seasons in which he participated.
However, more than a decade on, Pietersen is back with the Capitals again, this time as a mentor. And coincidentally or otherwise, this remarriage has proven fruitful for DC, with the 2020 finalists sitting at fourth spot after nine games, looking primed for not just playoff qualification but a potential top two finish.
More importantly, Pietersen’s addition is a game-changer for the young batters in the side such as Ashutosh Sharma, Abishek Porel and others, who are not just trying to create impact but are eyeing to level up as batters.
In the aftermath of DC’s clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Pietersen spoke about the work he’s doing with DC’s young batters, and how he’s focused on polishing their mindset since there is not a lot of time in a tournament like the IPL to make immediate technical tweaks.
“I always knew that when I was playing franchise cricket that no particular coach could change you over that four to six week period or eight week period,” Pietersen explained.
“I mean, even with Abishek [Porel] last night, I was working on something. I mean, where are we — we’re five weeks into the tournament, we’ve only got three or four weeks left of the tournament — and I said to him, ‘Abhi, this is not going to work for you tomorrow. It might not work for you next week. But if you keep working on it over the next month, two months, three months, four months, I promise you this is going to help your game, and it’s going to take you to a level where you’re going to become a more destructive batter.’
“So, I think that’s the key: trying to lay foundations now, and then also just mentally trying to switch a few players on and make them think better. Because I think you can think better. Trying to change technique and trying to give people more batting options — that takes time, right? Because it’s training the brain through repetition.
“Whereas the mental switch — some of this stuff I’ve done with Ashutosh, just making sure that he practices the right way. I’ve also had long and deep and meaningful discussions with KL about batting and the art of batting and the new way of batting — there, you can have an impact. But, sort of technically, these things take time, yeah.”
Elaborating more on the work he’s done with young Ashutosh Sharma, someone who KP has been extremely high on since day one, the former England captain said that he’s focused on ensuring that the 26-year-old ‘trains the right way’.
“I mean, he’s the younger generation that grew up playing scoops and reverse sweeps and flicks for six, and just wants to hit sixes every ball. So, he’s that next generation of T20 talent,” Pietersen said of Ashutosh.
“And again, for him, I’ve spent a lot of time with him, just trying to make sure that he practices the right way. Because a lot of these guys — you can get to practice, you can try and hit sixes every ball, and you can get out a lot of times.
“I think the key to wanting to perform properly is to practice in the right way. And that’s what I’ve been working with Ashu on — just making sure that he doesn’t get out too many times in practice. When he hits the ball, he hits the right ball. Because in the match, you want to hit the right ball.”