Dinesh Karthik has retired as captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders, with Eoin Morgan replacing him. Karthik, a team statement said, wanted to focus on his hitting.
The franchise made the announcement hours before their game against the defending champions Mumbai Indians in Abu Dhabi on Friday. The Knight Riders are currently fourth on the points table with four wins and three losses in the first half of the season.
Karthik had struggled for fluidity in the first seven games of this season after shuffling in the middle order. He has scored 108 runs in seven innings with a maximum of 58, with a strike rate of 136.
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In a press release, the Knight Riders said Karthik “wishes to hand over” the lead to Morgan “in order to focus on his hitting and contribute more to the team’s cause.” Karthik will now assume vice-captain duties with the team.
Morgan, speaking with IPLT20.com, reacted to the development by saying: “I was a bit surprised just like everyone yesterday. DK informed us yesterday that he would like to take a step back and focus on his hitting as he feels he is the best option for the team. He is incredibly selfless and also shows a lot of courage to do that by putting the team first ahead of him as a patron.
“So I am delighted to continue the leadership role within the team. Obviously captain, and not vice-captain now, but I hope you continue to work alongside our players. We are in the middle of the tournament right now. We have shown something. potential. I have not yet achieved most. Tonight will be another good test, hopefully we will measure up. “
“DK and Eoin have worked brilliantly together during this tournament and although Eoin assumes the role of captain, this is effectively an exchange of roles,” says the CEO and CEO. @VenkyMysore # IPL2020 #KKR https://t.co/6dwX45FNg5
– KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) October 16, 2020
‘It takes a lot of courage’
Venky Mysore, CEO of Knight Riders, said the franchise was “shocked” by Karthik’s decision. Mysore, however, said he viewed the development as just an exchange of captaincy.
“We are fortunate to have leaders like DK, who have always put the team first,” Mysore said. “It takes a lot of courage for someone like him to make a decision like this. Although we were surprised by his decision, we respect his wishes.”
In 2018, Karthik was bought by Knight Riders for INR 7.4 crore ($ 1,156 million at the time) and named captain. Below him, the Knight Riders finished third in 2018 and fifth in 2019. Overall, Karthik has so far scored 859 runs with a strike rate of nearly 146 over five half centuries. However, his batting position has bothered him in this IPL.
At the season-opening press conference, Karthik admitted that he was still working on the correct hitting position with head coach Brendon McCullum. “That’s also something that’s on the top of our schedule. The coach won’t let me go where I want,” Karthik said jokingly, responding to a question about whether he would be hitting ahead of Nitish Rana in the first order. .
McCullum had said the Knight Riders had plenty of hitting options for both right and left handers. “We have world-class players like Dinesh and Nitish, so we can mix and match a bit depending on the strategy. But that will certainly include … the captain hitting a little bit more in order.”
Why Morgan?
Morgan has been solid with the bat. He is currently the Knight Riders’ second-best hitter, scoring 175 runs with a strike rate of nearly 130.
Morgan is primarily known for his success as England’s ODI captain, especially for the 2019 World Cup victory. But he has equally extensive experience as a leader in T20. In 88 T20 he has been captain, Morgan has won 39 games, lost 45, tied twice without result.
Morgan was bought by Knight Riders in the 2020 auction for INR 5.25 cr ($ 739,000). His close relationship with McCullum was highlighted as one of the key reasons behind the franchise that hired him. But Morgan was hired for the dual purpose of providing experience in the middle order and assisting the Knight Riders leadership group comprised of McCullum, Karthik, and Abhishek Nayar.
“Within any good or great side of the world, there must be several leaders in the locker room. We have them in abundance,” Morgan said. “We have a lot of young guys who get over that lead from the front: (Shubman) Gill, Rana, to name a few … (Kamlesh) Nagarkoti has advanced at different stages. And we have a lot of foreign players to lead as well. So. Between Dinesh and myself, captain and vice-captain, we may be at the forefront of that, but the driving force is the guys behind us. “
Morgan’s rise in stature can be measured by the fact that in 2012 he and McCullum were teammates on the Knight Riders. He is now an established leader, spoken of as one of the best limited overs captains in cue ball cricket. Morgan himself has spoken of the big difference since 2012 and now his self-confidence as a hitter and leader has grown tremendously.
“He’s an incredibly dangerous player and probably the best middle-order hitter in the shortest version in the last two years,” McCullum told the Indian newspaper. Telegraph Recently.
Mysore said the franchise was “fortunate” to have Morgan, who was “willing” to lead the Knight Riders. “DK and Eoin have worked brilliantly together during this tournament and although Eoin assumes the role of captain, this is effectively a role exchange and we hope this transition will go smoothly.”
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