On IPL 2020 eve, Kevin Pietersen talks favourites, Dhoni & Rhino conservation to Republic

Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen is all set to embrace his new role on the IPL 2020 commentary team as a part of this year's unique edition of the tournament in the UAE. Apart from this, Pietersen has also embraced a new role as a passionate wildlife conservator, focusing on saving the endangered wildlife species, especially in India.  

In an exclusive conversation with Republic TV's Shivani Gupta, the swashbuckling England run-machine spoke about the upcoming edition of the IPL, the concept of staying in a bio-bubble & what it meant for him, his favourites in this year's edition of the marquee tournament, his thoughts on Captain Cool and the importance of wildlife conservation. 

Kevin Pietersen, who has been quite vocal for the conservation of rhinos, spoke about how India was leading from the front in terms of conserving nature & wildlife and hailed the work being done in North East India as 'phenomenal'.

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Talking about the perks of staying in a bio-secure bubble as a part of the protocols established for this year's IPL amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kevin Pietersen revealed that he had 'got a crazy amount of work done' while he was alone and that he absolutely 'loved it'. 

The former England skipper cautiously noted that there were no favourites on his mind to win the IPL in UAE while also pointing out that while his heart wanted the Delhi Capitals to win, he was unsure if the head too felt the same.

Kevin Pietersen was all praise for former Indian skipper MS Dhoni, hailing Captain Cool as a fabulous leader who led by example & maintained his calmness under pressure.     

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Kevin Pietersen predicts team that will lift IPL 2020 trophy

Kevin Pietersen posted a picture of himself on the photo and video sharing app. He captioned the photo, "From a bubble in the UK to a bubble in Dubai...! I love that we have cricket back and as always very excited about working on". Kevin Pietersen further asked his fans to predict who will win the IPL 2020. The Englishman had his pick as he hoped Delhi Capitals to lift the IPL 2020 trophy. Pietersen's prediction might have a lot to do with the fact that he has a soft corner for the Capitals, who were previously known as the Delhi Daredevils, as he has played for them in the past with much success.

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MI & CSK to clash in IPL 2020 opener 

Defending champions Mumbai Indians will face MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in the opening clash of the tournament on September 19 in Abu Dhabi. RCB will be facing Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first match of the tournament on September 21. Compared to the regular 8 pm IST start, the games will start half an hour earlier in the upcoming edition. The afternoon matches are set to begin at 3:30 PM IST while the evening games will commence at 7:30 PM IST. In all, 24 matches will be held in Dubai, 20 in Abu Dhabi and 12 in Sharjah, while the venues for playoffs will be announced later.

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