Kevin Pietersen featured in 2003/04 Duleep Trophy: Know how
What's the story
Former England cricket captain, Kevin Pietersen, recently shared a nostalgic photo on Instagram.
The image, taken two nearly decades ago, shows him featuring for England A in the Duleep Trophy.
Notably, Pietersen played for the side led by James Tredwell in the 2003/04 edition of the red-ball tournament.
He humorously captioned the post: "India 2004! Playing in the Duleep Trophy... This is when I first fell in love with India or should I say, Indian bowlers...!"
Stellar record
Pietersen's impressive performance in Duleep Trophy
During the 2003/04 Duleep Trophy, Pietersen demonstrated his batting prowess by scoring 345 runs across four innings.
He hit two centuries, one each against South Zone and East Zone.
Despite his outstanding performance with the blade, England A were unable to secure a victory in either match and did not reach the final.
Debut
Pietersen made a mark on Test debut
Pietersen, known for his impeccable and audacious strokes, made his Test debut for England on July 21, 2005, during the Ashes at Lord's.
The match saw him score two fifties, but Australia beat England by 239 runs.
In his debut Test series, Pietersen emerged as the leading run-scorer, with 473 runs from five matches.
This performance helped the Michael Vaughan-led England seal Test series win over the mighty Australians.
Remarkable stats
Pietersen's record in Test cricket
Kevin Pietersen is one of the most elegant batters of all time. His dashing strokes mesmerized many and even jeopardized the greatest bowlers.
Although Pietersen's career ended controversially, his bravado will remain indispensable.
The former batter represented England in 104 Tests, 136 ODIs, and 37 T20Is. He slammed 13,779 runs in these internationals at an average of 44.30.
His tally included 32 hundreds and 67 half-centuries.