Something that had been predicted to happen even before the start of the IPL has happened. Dinesh Karthik has stepped down as Kolkata Knight Riders captain after seven matches, with Eoin Morgan replacing him.
In a media release on Friday afternoon, the franchise said Karthik wishes to relinquish captaincy “to focus on his batting and contributing more to the team’s cause”.
Sources, however, told The Telegraph that Karthik had come under pressure to quit as captain after he struggled for runs in the first few matches amid an unsettled batting order. Two close victories against CSK and KXIP had stalled such talks for a while, but once they crashed against RCB, Karthik read the writing on the wall.
To avoid any further embarrassment, Karthik announced his decision first to the team management and then teammates on Thursday.
“DK didn’t wish to be dictated having gauged the mood of the powers-that-be at KKR. The team management increasingly felt that DK lacked innovative ideas on the field and that was reflected in the team performance.
“His inconsistent form reflected on his captaincy and the team management felt a change should be made at the earliest. In franchise-based leagues, it’s a result-driven world,” the source said.
Insiders blamed head coach Brendon McCullum more for not deciding on the right batting position for the players and pointed to a lack of co-ordination between him and Karthik.
The wicketkeeper-batsman had made up his mind after their last match and expressed as much during the presentation.
“Let’s be honest. Every captain has a day when things don’t go right. But there are a lot of good days I can remember as well, and I will want to stick on to them,” he had said.
The source maintained an influential KKR official was behind Morgan’s elevation. “KKR had brought Morgan on board during the January auction with the intention of handing the captaincy over to him. Morgan’s close association with McCullum was also a prime reason behind the move.
“There’s no doubt that given his credentials, Morgan is the best man. But they decided against changing captaincy to maintain continuity. They knew a change was imminent and waited for the right opportunity. It did come their way pretty early in the tournament.
“Shah Rukh Khan may be the principal owner but team matters are best left to his core group. He doesn’t get involved in such matters though he is always kept informed,” the source maintained.
Morgan hailed Karthik’s act as “incredibly selfless” and one which “shows a lot of courage” on his part.
Former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir, under whom the team won two IPL titles, posted a cryptic message moments after the decision was announced. “It takes years to build legacy but a minute to destroy it,” Gambhir tweeted without naming anyone.
Sources revealed that Karthik’s indifferent form had also led to discussions about dropping him from the XI. But given that KKR do not have an appropriate back-up, except for Nikhil Naik, such talk was shelved.
McCullum had witnessed the unceremonious change of guard at the KKR helm in 2009 when he replaced Sourav Ganguly. That remains one of the darkest periods in the franchise’s history.
Venky Mysore, CEO of KKR, looked at the positive side. “We are fortunate to have leaders such as DK, who has always put the team first,” Mysore said. “It takes a lot of courage for someone like him to take a decision such as this. While we were surprised by his decision, we are respectful of his wishes.”
