The Delhi Daredevils announced Kevin Pietersen as their captain for IPL 7 with Dinesh Karthik named the vice-captain.
Pietersen was bought by the Daredevils for Rs 9 crore during the IPL player auction, with Delhi expectedly using their right to match card, after initially deciding against retaining a single player from last season.
"Kevin Pietersen will captain the all new look Delhi Daredevils during the seventh edition of the Pepsi Indian Premier League," the franchise said in a statement. "Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik would be the vice-captain."
The former England player, who missed the entire last season through injury, will be available for the full campaign this year, after the ECB decided to sever ties with the player.
Pietersen, at his best, is one of the most feared batsmen in the T20 format, or any format actually, and his experience will no doubt be welcomed by the Daredevils franchise.
"I feel incredibly honoured to have been asked to captain the Delhi Daredevils in this year's IPL," Pietersen said. "I am very much looking forward to working alongside [coach] Gary Kirsten.
"We have a fantastic squad with a good blend of youth and experience and a brilliant coaching set up. We hope to bring our incredible fans a lot of happiness this season."
Karthik was bought by the Delhi Daredevils for a mammoth Rs 12 crore, and was the second costliest player in the entire auction, only behind Yuvraj Singh.
Much will be expected of the wicketkeeper/batsman, who impressed with the Mumbai Indians in their IPL title-winning campaign last season.
"I am really thankful and honoured on being appointed as the vice-captain of Delhi Daredevils cricket team. I also thank GMR Group and Delhi Daredevils for having the faith in me," Karthik said.
"I am looking forward to working under legends like Kevin Pietersen and Gary Kirsten and show my full support and faith for the team. I will try and take the team to a newer level and achieve great things."
Pietersen, coach Gary Kirsten and Karthik will now for an interesting think-tank for the Daredevils and it remains to be seen how the season pans out for the Delhi franchise.
"I am looking forward to working with Kevin Pietersen as the captain of the Delhi Daredevils," said Kirsten, who guided India to the World Cup title in 2011. "It will be great to have him with us for the full duration of IPL and I have no doubt that he will have a positive and significant impact.
"Dinesh Karthik, who has been appointed as vice-captain will also form part of the leadership team. He has a lot of experience of playing the IPL and he will offer valuable inputs into our game plans and strategies during the tournament."
