Kevin Pietersen favourite of IPL teams

Kevin Pietersen may be going through a crisis but he is the most sought after among the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisees.

Pietersen held talks with a ­representative of the Bangalore Royal Challengers when England played their one-day match in the city last November but at least two other IPL teams are interested in signing the former England captain, The Guardian reports.

Indeed, if Pietersen were to decide to skip England's two home Tests against West Indies and play the full six weeks rather than a fortnight in the IPL, he could spark a bidding war that would see IPL teams tempted to blow their $2million budget on securing his signature.

Royal Challengers did not deny that contact had been made with Pietersen.

"Obviously, we're interested in signing him," a team official said.

"But it all depends on the auction. There would be several franchisees keen to sign him, and we'll know when the auction comes around."

The IPL auction for the 2009 season takes place on February 6.