This development comes amidst swirling media buzz that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is eyeing a specialist batting coach to fortify their support staff. The quest follows a string of uninspired batting performances that cost India dearly — from losing the home series to New Zealand and the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, to ultimately missing the ICC World Test Championship final spot
Interestingly, the current Team India support squad doesn’t feature a designated batting coach. Instead, it boasts assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate (former stars of India and the Netherlands, respectively), legendary South African pacer Morne Morkel as the bowling coach, and ace fielding coach T. Dilip
If Team India does get a batting coach, their biggest tasks could include helping superstars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli overcome their form slump and rediscover their genius, help Shubman Gill gain consistency in long format of the game and boost up batting skills of tailenders, who often end up scoring some difference making runs
Coming to Pietersen, he represented England in 104 Tests, making 8,181 runs at an average of 47.28, with 23 centuries and 35 fifties. His best score is 227
In ODIs, the swashbuckling right-hander made 4,440 runs in 136 matches at an average of 40.73, with nine centuries and 25 fifties to his name. His best score in the format is 130
Pietersen’s interest in donning the coaching cap came to light when he cheekily replied to a report on X about BCCI’s plans to hire a batting coach with a one-word mic-drop: 'Available'.
Coming to T20Is, the master of the 'switch hit' made 1,176 runs in 37 matches at an average of 37.93 and a strike rate of above 141. His best score in the format is 79 and he made seven fifties in the format
Pietersen was pivotal in England’s triumph at the 2010 ICC T20 World Cup, where he bagged the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award with 248 runs across six matches.
With a glittering career tally of 13,779 international runs, 32 centuries, and 67 half-centuries, Pietersen is England’s third-highest run-scorer of all time. The big question now is — will BCCI swipe right on KP?
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