Kevin Pietersen back for IPL and Real Madrid and Barcelona battle again

KP hits out for Delhi, Red Bull’s F1 appeal, women’s football kicks off and el clásico at the Copa del Rey, here’s this week’s ...Colourful and brash (still an abomination to purists), the lights, fireworks and explosively concentrated action of the Indian Premier League returns with the added attraction of having Kevin Pietersen flexing his muscles for the Delhi Daredevils. This, one imagines, is exactly how KP likes to relax, bashing balls for big money, with no politics. "I absolutely love the competition. I’ve played in every part of the world and after playing for almost a decade, I don’t think I need to prove anything to anyone," he said. He has a lot to do, however, as Delhi finished bottom last year but he has been enthused by working with India’s 2011 World Cup-winning coach, Gary Kirsten. At the top end, last year’s winners, Mumbai Indians, have had a revamp, bringing in Michael Hussey for Dwayne Smith, who had a fabulous, marauding 2013 season but has been picked up by Chennai Super Kings. The action begins on Wednesday (ITV4, 2.45pm) with Mumbai v Kolkata in Abu Dhabi, and KP is out on Thursday playing Bangalore (ITV4, 3pm). Catch it while you can, after a long run on free-to-air ITV, Sky has the IPL rights from 2015. Continue reading…

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