Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan and former India starter Aakash Chopra expressed their concerns after Dinesh Karthik decided to step down as Kolkata Knight Riders captain hours before KKR’s 2020 IPL match against the Mumbai Indians in Abu Dhabi. Karthik handed over the reins to England’s boss with limited Eoin Morgan, who will now lead KKR in the rest of the Indian Premier League.
Karthik has been under pressure despite KKR being in the top four on the IPL points table. Karthik’s decisions, especially regarding KKR’s batting order, have drawn criticism time and again from experts. Former India starter and now renowned broadcaster Aakash Chopra, however, believes the timing to change the captaincy was not right.
MI vs KKR, IPL 2020 live
“They have a game tonight. And although it is his decision, Morgan’s batting form has left much to be desired at IPL 2020. There is another team in the competition that is struggling with the form of their captain overseas, ”Chopra tweeted.
Irfan Pathan, on the other hand, questioned the need for a captaincy change mid-season when KKR is really in the race for the play-offs.
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“The mid-season change in Captaincy is never a comfortable situation for team members. I hope KKR does not stray from here. They are in the race for the playoffs! Pathan tweeted.
Indian wicketkeeper-hitter Dinesh Karthik resigned as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, surrendering to England’s Eoin Morgan for the remainder of the Indian Premier League tournament.
KKR said Karthik, 35, wanted to “focus on his hitting and contribute more to the team’s cause.”
“We are lucky to have leaders like DK, who have always put the team first. It takes a lot of courage for someone like him to make a decision like this, ”CEO Venky Mysore said in the statement posted on Twitter.
“While we were surprised by his decision, we respect his wishes.”
Midway through the tight tournament, KKR placed fourth with four wins and three losses.
Karthik has scored 108 runs in seven starts so far, with 58 being his highest score.
Morgan, England’s World Cup winning captain, was a top buy at the IPL auction and has added 175 runs in seven games.
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