South Africa-born Kevin Pietersen migrated to England looking for better opportunities to play international cricket. He made his England debut in 2004 during an ODI series in Zimbabwe
In his first tour of the country of his birth, in 2005, Pietersen made a statement by smashing three centuries in the seven-match one-day international series
Pietersen scored 158 in the fifth Test of the 2005 Ashes, helping England secure a draw at The Oval which would confirm their hold on the Ashes after 18 years. It could have been different had his old friend Shane Warne not dropped him at slip early in the innings
In the 2006 home Tests against Sri Lanka, he became the first England player since Graham Gooch to make hundreds in three consecutive innings
Fling the coaching manual -- Pietersen dared to experiment with audacious shots like the Switch Hit, and more often than not, he was successful. Modern-day batting owes a lot to Pietersen for introducing innovative shots
Pietersen took over the England captaincy in 2008 but his stint was short because he couldn't establish a good working relationship with the coach, Peter Moores (left)
In the 2010-11 Ashes in Australia which England won, Pietersen made his highest Test score of 227, at Adelaide
2012 was a tumultuous year for Pietersen in terms of off-field controversies. That didn't stop him from playing some of his best Test knocks, like his 149 against a hostile South African bowling attack at Headingley
...and his 186 against India in Mumbai, which paved the way for England securing their first Test series win the country since 1984-85
Pietersen ended his international career at the 2013-14 Ashes in Australia. He had the privilege of being part of four Ashes series wins for England
Pietersen committed himself as a T20 freelancer for the various leagues across the world. He served as Delhi Daredevils captain for a while
Pietersen may have scored plenty of runs against the Australians, but he remained a hit with the Australian public, as was seen during the Big Bash League