Star batter KL Rahul recently shared a hilarious behind-the-scenes story about his friendly banter with England great Kevin Pietersen during the 2025 Indian Premier League season — even revealing that he once “complained” to Pietersen’s wife, Jessica, about the Englishman being “too rude” to him.
Rahul and Pietersen were both part of the Delhi Capitals camp earlier this year, with the Indian wicketkeeper-batter joining the franchise from Lucknow Super Giants and Pietersen stepping in as mentor. Their on-field and off-field exchanges became an instant hit among fans, thanks to their quick wit and playful digs at each other.
Speaking on the 2 Sloggers YouTube podcast, Rahul recalled how his wife, actor Athiya Shetty, even pulled him up after watching
a few of those clips shared by Delhi Capitals’ social media team.
“Our banter is different. He is a great sport. He gives it to you also,” Rahul said with a laugh. “There was this video, and there were two-three times where I said something and DC posted it on Instagram. So, my wife was telling me, ‘Why are you being so mean? He is such a sweet guy.’”
Rahul went on to say that what fans saw online was just a glimpse of their constant back-and-forth throughout the season.
“I said, ‘Half the things that he does to me and tells me, that doesn’t come out.’ This is three times that I have given out of the 100 times he is after my life,” he revealed.
The Indian cricketer also shared how he jokingly brought up the issue during a dinner with Pietersen and his wife while touring England earlier this year.
“I complained to his wife when we were in the UK. They invited me for dinner and I told her, ‘Tell your husband to go easy on me. He is very rude to me,’” Rahul said, laughing.
Their camaraderie turned out to be one of the most entertaining subplots of the Delhi Capitals’ 2025 IPL campaign. Pietersen, who had once been critical of Rahul’s conservative T20 approach, later lauded him for his aggressive and match-winning performances during the season.
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