Eoin Morgan is in the midst of a poor run of form in the Indian Premier League, with the England captain making just 17 runs in four innings since the tournament's resumption in the UAE.
In the Kolkata Knight Riders' most recent game against Punjab Kings, a five-wicket defeat, Morgan was out for a second ball duck after getting pinned LBW by Mohammed Shami.
Across the entire tournament, Morgan has scored 109 runs in 11 innings at an average of 10.90 and a strike rate of 100.92.
During the summer, Morgan managed just 49 runs in four innings for England in the T20I series' against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
His form has raised concerns heading into the T20 World Cup, with the tournament being staged in the same place as the ongoing IPL.
However, Kevin Pietersen has defended Morgan, stating that no player is "a robot" and urging fans to "cut athletes some slack".
When asked about Morgan's form during a Twitter Q&A, Pietersen replied: "It happens. No sports person is a robot that continually performs. People need to cut athletes some slack!"
Kolkata coach Brendon McCullum has admitted that his side needs more from Morgan, but he backed the England captain to come good.
He said: "He's one of our senior players. He's one of our international batters and in his own head, he would have loved to contribute more runs.
"I think he's captained the side really well. But look, you want some more runs from him there's no doubt in there.
"You need runs from your overseas players and you particularly need in those key spots as well. I am confident he will come alright. Some guys are really going well."
Morgan will be hoping to find some form before the IPL ends, with the 35-year-old looking to lead England to glory at the T20 World Cup when their campaign gets underway on October 23.
