Kevin Pietersen, the golden globetrotter
Kevin Pietersen's surprise axing from the national side has changed the dynamics of the upcoming IPL players' auction as his availability for the full season now makes the swashbuckling English batsman the most sought after player.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: February 06, 2014 06:04 PM IST
Kevin Pietersen's life is not the same as it was last November when he was hoping to represent England in the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. "There's the 2015 World Cup. There are still quite a few things that I would like to achieve, while I'm happy and as everything is going as well as they are at the moment, there's no need to worry about anything," Pietersen had said.
From being the best batsman in the England locker room to being told that he will never play for the Three Lions again. But the on-field loss could well mean huge off-field gains for the swashbuckling batsman. At a time when there are at least three established T20 leagues in the world, KP might just have hit the jackpot. (Also read: 'KP, a maverick that England couldn't manage')
Former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi has said, "Every IPL team owner's dream was to get Kevin Pietersen to be playing full-time, to be available for the whole season. But now that he will be available for the whole time I think it will be England's loss and the IPL's gain. He could go upwards of £2.5-3 million." The IPL franchises know all too well what KP is capable of. In 21 matches he scored over 600 runs, with one century and three fifties.
Head of Cricket Operations for Kings XI Punjab Anant Sarkaria told NDTV that the fact that KP could now be available for the entire IPL season will make him an enticing prospect for all franchises. And it's not just the IPL franchises who have KP on their radar. According to reports in the English, Pietersen could earn upwards of 16 crore in a single year from T20 leagues across the world.
The ECB might have decided to terminate KP's contract, but his county side Surrey have confirmed that they will offer him a new contract for their T20 competition. Money can never be the same as international runs for a cricketer. But for KP the only path that he can now take is the one that will make him a golden globetrotter.