Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has hailed Rahul Dravid's influence on his batting, saying the legendary Indian's advice on how to play spin opened up a "whole new world" for him. Pietersen said his Indian Premier League experiences, batting alongside world-class players such as Dravid and Virender Sehwag, helped him expand his repertoire of shots.

Pietersen played for various IPL teams like the erstwhile Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. "Dravid wrote me the most beautiful e-mail, explaining the art of playing spin and ever since then it was a whole new world," the former England batting star said.