England legend Kevin Pietersen’s return to England’s white-ball setup was met with a commanding success following England’s scintillating win over Sri Lanka in the first T20I in Southampton on Sunday. The former England star was recently appointed as a specialist mentor of England’s white-ball side, and his presence was widely felt during England’s first T20I against Sri Lanka after captain Harry Brook put on a magnificent show, knocking off one of the most destructive innings of his career. 

Brook cracked an unbeaten 114 in 49 deliveries as England posted a total of 254/4 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 135. The 119-run victory paved the way for England to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Notably, Brook’s batting assault resembled a Pietersen-style masterclass, as his knock included impressive ten fours and six sixes. After England’s win, Brook praised Kevin Pietersen, highlighting his impact on the game.

“Obviously we haven’t had too much time together so far but he’s a great figure to have in the changing room; the type of player he was, he looked at batting slightly differently, in a similar way to me as well,” Brook said.

“He always wants to try and look to put the bowlers under pressure, and I’m looking forward to working with him a lot more.”

Brook also revealed that he had watched highlights of Pietersen's famous 2005 Ashes performances before taking the field against Sri Lanka. Moreover, Brook called Pietersen a hero. 

"I was actually watching his (Pietersen's) highlights earlier, funnily enough," Brook said. 

"He was a phenomenal player. The way he accessed different areas of the ground made it really tricky to captain and bowl to, and I'm looking forward to having a lot of conversations about that,” Brook stated. 

"That's not just for white-ball cricket, that's for Test cricket as well. Hopefully, he can have a big impact on my career. He's a hero to a lot of players in that changing room. We all grew up watching him and admiring his work, and it's just awesome to have a man of his calibre in the changing room,” Brook said.