Kevin Pietersen leaves IPL 2020 commentary team! Know the reason

Dubai, October 16: Former England captain and noted commentator Kevin Pietersen on Friday (October 16) has left the IPL 2020 commentary team citing personal reasons. The match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab on Thursday (October 15) was his last match of IPL 13 as a commentator.

"I left the IPL as it's half term for my kids and I want to be at home with them. It's been a strange year, so now they're off school, I want to be with them all day, every day," Pietersen wrote in his official Twitter account.

Pietersen's stint as a commentator in IPL 2020 was marked with candid observations and remarks that often did not go down well with fans.

Pietersen has been critical of Sunrisers Hyderabad fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed and Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Sunil Narine. Pietersen had said Narine, once the vital cog in the KKR wheel, is not the same player that he once was.

"Sunil Narine has not been the same bowler for a few years now. He hasn't had his best; he hasn't had his real big spin. Coming to Sharjah, it is not something you are really worried about Sunil Narine. And then the bowlers have found him out in his batting. You bowl him short, he doesn't like it," Pietersen had said.

"He is a tailender who bats at the top of the innings. I don't really like him at the top of the order as a batsman. He comes off with 1 off 10, and that's not good for the team and the team dynamics. As a spin bowler, he has not spun it properly for 2-3 years," he had opined.

During the Sunrisers IPL 2020 match against Chennai Super Kings, Khaleel had pulled out of bowling the 17th over which was later bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Khaleel was in discomfort but Pietersen made a comment to the effect that the pacer was faking the cramps, and it did not please the fans.