During Day 4 of the second India vs England Test in Visakhapatnam, Kevin Pietersen and Zaheer Khan shared lighthearted banter. Pietersen boasted about having Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his pocket, alluding to dismissing the Indian legend in a Test match.
In response, Zaheer playfully reminded Pietersen about his challenges facing Yuvraj Singh’s slow left-arm spin. Pietersen and Zaheer, now in commentary roles for the second India vs England Test, continued their banter.
Despite their past on-field battles, their competitive spirit persists into their post-retirement roles. In the 2007 Oval Test, Kevin Pietersen famously dismissed Dhoni for 92, a moment he bragged about during a conversation with Zaheer Khan.
However, Zaheer swiftly reminded Pietersen of his vulnerability against Yuvraj Singh’s bowling. The Hindustan Times reported the banter, resembling an off-field sledging battle, capturing the exchange where Pietersen initiated the conversation with Zaheer.
“You know who else I’ve got in my pocket here? The great Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Right there, there he is next to Kamran Akmal.”
In response to Pietersen’s remark, the ex-India pacer quickly replied:
“You know I met Yuvraj Singh recently and he was talking about Kevin Pietersen being there.”
The ex-England captain jokingly anticipated Zaheer’s response, candidly acknowledging:
“Yuvraj got me a few times (laughs).”
Zaheer continued the interesting chat and added:
“I remember him (Pietersen) giving him (Yuvraj) a special nickname as well.”
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Concluding the amusing exchange, the English cricket legend remarked:
“Yeah, and he used it as his e-mail ID too for a while. We’ve had some great battles, some beautiful battles on the field and that’s what happens when you play for such a long time.”
“The good thing is you can speak about it and have fun with it. It’s the same thing a guy like Ashwin would do with Ben Stokes when their careers are finished. They will be having a laugh, having a joke like this.”
It is widely known that Pietersen faced difficulties against Yuvraj’s slow left-arm spin and was even dismissed by him on multiple occasions.
Kevin Pietersen’s remarkable statistics
Pietersen, at the age of 43, participated in 104 Test matches, 136 ODIs, and 37 T20Is for England, accumulating 8,181, 4,440, and 1,176 runs in each format. His averages were 47.28 in Tests, 40.73 in ODIs, and he maintained a T20I strike rate of 141.51.
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Pietersen, born in South Africa, secured 10 wickets in Test matches, seven in ODIs, and one in T20Is as a bowler. Despite his potential to contribute more to the England team, his involvement in numerous controversies often led to his exclusion.
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