diff --git a/flink-python/pyflink/datastream/connectors/kafka.py b/flink-python/pyflink/datastream/connectors/kafka.py
index 062c5b2e8..cf05cb5b2 100644
--- a/flink-python/pyflink/datastream/connectors/kafka.py
+++ b/flink-python/pyflink/datastream/connectors/kafka.py
@@ -44,7 +44,9 @@
     'KafkaOffsetResetStrategy',
     'KafkaRecordSerializationSchema',
     'KafkaRecordSerializationSchemaBuilder',
-    'KafkaTopicSelector'
+    'KafkaTopicSelector',
+    'KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema',
+    'SimpleStringValueKafkaRecordDeserializationSchema'
 ]
 
 
@@ -353,6 +355,38 @@ def ignore_failures_after_transaction_timeout(self) -> 'FlinkKafkaProducer':
 
 # ---- KafkaSource ----
 
+class KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema:
+    """
+    Base class for KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema. The kafka record deserialization schema
+    describes how to turn the byte messages delivered by Apache Kafka into data types (Java/
+    Scala objects) that are processed by Flink.
+
+    In addition, the KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema describes the produced type which lets
+    Flink create internal serializers and structures to handle the type.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, j_kafka_record_deserialization_schema=None):
+        self.j_kafka_record_deserialization_schema = j_kafka_record_deserialization_schema
+
+
+class SimpleStringValueKafkaRecordDeserializationSchema(KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema):
+    """
+    Very simple deserialization schema for strings values. By default, the deserializer uses
+    'UTF-8' for byte to string conversion.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, charset: str = 'UTF-8'):
+        gate_way = get_gateway()
+        j_char_set = gate_way.jvm.java.nio.charset.Charset.forName(charset)
+        j_simple_string_serialization_schema = gate_way.jvm \
+            .org.apache.flink.api.common.serialization.SimpleStringSchema(j_char_set)
+        j_kafka_record_deserialization_schema = gate_way.jvm \
+            .org.apache.flink.connector.kafka.source.reader.deserializer \
+            .KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema.valueOnly(j_simple_string_serialization_schema)
+        KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema.__init__(
+            self, j_kafka_record_deserialization_schema=j_kafka_record_deserialization_schema)
+
+
+# ---- KafkaSource ----
 
 class KafkaSource(Source):
     """
@@ -611,6 +645,22 @@ def set_value_only_deserializer(self, deserialization_schema: DeserializationSch
         self._j_builder.setValueOnlyDeserializer(deserialization_schema._j_deserialization_schema)
         return self
 
+    def set_deserializer(
+        self,
+        kafka_record_deserialization_schema: KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema
+    ) -> 'KafkaSourceBuilder':
+        """
+        Sets the :class:`~pyflink.datastream.connectors.kafka.KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema`
+        for deserializing Kafka ConsumerRecords.
+
+        :param kafka_record_deserialization_schema: the :class:`KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema`
+            to use for deserialization.
+        :return: this KafkaSourceBuilder.
+        """
+        self._j_builder.setDeserializer(
+            kafka_record_deserialization_schema.j_kafka_record_deserialization_schema)
+        return self
+
     def set_client_id_prefix(self, prefix: str) -> 'KafkaSourceBuilder':
         """
         Sets the client id prefix of this KafkaSource.
diff --git a/flink-python/pyflink/datastream/connectors/tests/test_kafka.py b/flink-python/pyflink/datastream/connectors/tests/test_kafka.py
index dea06b3e0..ef89256b5 100644
--- a/flink-python/pyflink/datastream/connectors/tests/test_kafka.py
+++ b/flink-python/pyflink/datastream/connectors/tests/test_kafka.py
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
 from pyflink.datastream.connectors.base import DeliveryGuarantee
 from pyflink.datastream.connectors.kafka import KafkaSource, KafkaTopicPartition, \
     KafkaOffsetsInitializer, KafkaOffsetResetStrategy, KafkaRecordSerializationSchema, KafkaSink, \
-    FlinkKafkaProducer, FlinkKafkaConsumer
+    FlinkKafkaProducer, FlinkKafkaConsumer, KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema, \
+    SimpleStringValueKafkaRecordDeserializationSchema
 from pyflink.datastream.formats.avro import AvroRowDeserializationSchema, AvroRowSerializationSchema
 from pyflink.datastream.formats.csv import CsvRowDeserializationSchema, CsvRowSerializationSchema
 from pyflink.datastream.formats.json import JsonRowDeserializationSchema, JsonRowSerializationSchema
@@ -332,6 +333,22 @@ def _check(schema: DeserializationSchema, class_name: str):
             'org.apache.flink.formats.avro.AvroRowDeserializationSchema'
         )
 
+    def test_set_kafka_record_deserialization_schema(self):
+        def _check(schema: KafkaRecordDeserializationSchema, java_class_name: str):
+            source = KafkaSource.builder() \
+                .set_bootstrap_servers('localhost:9092') \
+                .set_topics('test_topic') \
+                .set_deserializer(schema) \
+                .build()
+            kafka_record_deserialization_schema = get_field_value(source.get_java_function(),
+                                                                  'deserializationSchema')
+            self.assertEqual(kafka_record_deserialization_schema.getClass().getCanonicalName(),
+                             java_class_name)
+
+        _check(SimpleStringValueKafkaRecordDeserializationSchema(),
+               'org.apache.flink.connector.kafka.source.reader.deserializer.'
+               'KafkaValueOnlyDeserializationSchemaWrapper')
+
     def _check_reader_handled_offsets_initializer(self,
                                                   source: KafkaSource,
                                                   offset: int,