Team India keeper-batter KL Rahul took a playful yet seemingly brutal jibe at Kevin Pietersen after the latter was appointed as the mentor of the England cricket team to oversee their build-up of the 2027 World Cup. With England cricket posting the announcement on Instagram, Rahul commented ‘Is Maldives holiday included in the package?’ and tagged Pietersen on the same.
What is the context behind KL Rahul’s comment to troll Kevin Pietersen?
The jibe from the Karnataka-born cricketer dates to IPL 2025 when Rahul joked that the main job of a mentor is to take two-week vacation to the Maldives mid-season. The incident occurred during a training session of IPL 2025 ahead of the Capitals’ match against the Gujarat Titans. With Shubman Gill asking what the job of a mentor is, the 34-year-old chimed in and said playfully, ‘Apparently, taking a two-week Maldives vacation mid-season is part of it!”
Banger from KL Rahul 😂😂😂😭 pic.twitter.com/TuL78PpHe0
— Jagadish (@jagadish264) September 7, 2026
The comment was part of the playful banter with reference to the former England skipper flying to the Maldives for a short break on a personal trip.
“Putting on the England uniform again for the first time since 2014 is a profound honour” – Kevin Pietersen
Meanwhile, the 46-year-old former England cricketer expressed immense pride at having the chance to wear the England shirt again. He said, as quoted by England cricket:
“I am immensely proud to have been asked to help this team on their journey to win a World Cup in South Africa. Putting on the England uniform again for the first time since 2014 is a profound honour and a deeply special moment. We have an incredibly talented white-ball squad, and I am excited to get in the trenches and work relentlessly hard with these players to maximise their potential. To be a part of Brendon’s think tank over the next 12 months is a fantastic opportunity, and I cannot wait to get started.”
Pietersen featured in 104 Tests, 136 ODIs and 37 T20Is. He scored over 5000 runs in white-ball cricket and amassed more than 8000 runs in Tests. The right-hander also played a critical role in England’s T20 World Cup victory in 2010.
