Kevin Pietersen with KL Rahul in IPL [Source: X]In a significant development, a key member of the Delhi Capitals has withdrawn from the upcoming IPL 2026 season. According to the IPL 2026 schedule, the Delhi Capitals will kick-start their campaign against the Lucknow Super Giants on April 1 at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Led by Axar Patel, DC had a torrid IPL campaign last season, failing to qualify for the playoffs of the competition. Although they had an outstanding start to the tournament, the Capitals couldn't capitalise on the momentum, eventually suffering a group-stage exit from the IPL 2025. Meanwhile, as they gear up for the upcoming IPL season, the Delhi Capitals have suffered a massive setback, with one of their core members making himself unavailable for the tournament. Delhi Capitals mentor Kevin Pietersen pulls out of IPL 2026The IPL 2026 season starts on March 28, with RCB taking on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the curtain-raiser at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Talking about DC, the Capitals will kick off their campaign on April 1 with a high-stakes clash against the Super Giants. However, the Delhi Capitals suffered a huge setback days prior to the mega event, with their team mentor Kevin Pietersen withdrawing from the upcoming IPL season. The English legend made the announcement through a post on his official X handle. Kevin Pietersen revealed that he wouldn't be able to invest enough time as DC's team mentor in the 2026 edition of the tournament. Also read: Delhi Capitals Head Coach Makes Shocking Pakistan Claim Amid Sunrisers-Abrar Ahmed SagaHowever, the former England captain promised to make a comeback to this year's IPL through a commentary stint. "I cannot be a mentor for Delhi Capitals in this IPL season. I cannot commit to the time that the job requires. Best wishes to all the players for this season! However, I'll see you back in the commentary box! IPL is the world's best league and I can't wait to see all of you soon!," Kevin Pietersen wrote on X. Kevin Pietersen's DC stint at a glanceRenowned for his scintillating stroke-play, Pietersen played a pivotal role for DC as a player. He represented the Delhi-based franchise (then named as Delhi Daredevils) across 19 IPL matches, scoring 599 runs, including one century and two fifties, at a healthy average of 39.93 and a strike rate of 136.14. After retiring from professional cricket, the English great reunited with the Capitals through a coaching stint, with DC appointing him as their team mentor for the IPL 2025 season. He was an integral part of the Capitals' leadership group alongside head coach Hemang Badani, assistant coach Matthew Mott and bowling coach Munaf Patel. Delhi Capitals coaching staff for IPL 2026Former Indian batter Hemang Badani will continue as the DC head coach for the IPL 2026. The Capitals recently roped in Ian Bell as their assistant coach, while Munaf Patel and Y. Venugopal Rao retained their positions as the bowling coach and the Director of Cricket, respectively. Meanwhile, Vijay Bharadwaj is their head talent scout to discover promising cricketers from around the country. Also read: Pakistan Predicted XI Vs Bangladesh- 3rd ODI, 2026- Will Shaheen Afridi Include Abrar Ahmed?
