Former England batter Kevin Pietersen on Thursday expressed interest in working as batting coach for Indian men’s team under head coach Gautam Gambhir. This development comes amid media reports that India is looking to strengthen their support staff with addition of a batting coach following a string of poor batting performances which cost India the home series against New Zealand, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia away from home and consequently the ICC World Test Championship final spot.
The current support staff to Gambhir does not have a batting coach. It includes assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan Ten Doeschate, ex-Indian and Netherlands cricketers, bowling coach and South African legend Morne Morkel and fielding coach T Dilip.
Responding to a report circulating on X about the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) looking for a batting coach, Pietersen replied,” Avaliable”
Available!
— Kevin Pietersen???? (@KP24) January 16, 2025
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.
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.
He was the winner of 2010 ICC T20 World Cup with England and emerged as its ‘Player of the Tournament’ with 248 runs in six matches with two fifties to his name.
With 13,779 runs in 275 matches, 32 centuries and 67 fifties, he is the third-highest run-getter of all time for England.
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