Eoin Morgan appointed the captain of KKR, replaces Dinesh Karthik
What's the story
Dinesh Karthik has stepped down as the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders with immediate effect. Reportedly, Eoin Morgan has been appointed the new skipper. Karthik said the decision would help him focus on his batting. Notably, he has fared poorly in the first half this season, having registered only one 50+ score. Moreover, his decisions were also questioned on several occasions. Here is more.
Twitter Post
Karthik steps down as KKR's captain
BREAKING: Dinesh Karthik steps down as @KKRiders captain; Eoin Morgan will lead the sidehttps://t.co/sAfNoG34Sv #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/Yibw5E3zAX
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 16, 2020
Quote
An excerpt from KKR's official statement
"Dinesh Karthik has informed the KKR management that with a view to focus on his batting and contributing more to the team's cause, he wishes to handover the team's captaincy to Eoin Morgan," an official statement by KKR read.
Decision
Fortunate to have leaders like Karthik: Venky Mysore
The CEO of KKR, Venky Mysore, welcomed Karthik's decision. "We are fortunate to have leaders such as DK, who has always put the team first. It takes a lot of courage to take such a decision," he said. "While we were surprised by his decision, we are respectful of his wishes. We are fortunate that Morgan is willing to lead the side going forward."
Captaincy
Record of Karthik as captain (for KKR)
Dinesh Karthik was appointed the skipper of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018. Under him, the KKR had decent amount of success as they qualified for the playoffs in that season. However, they were defeated by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Qualifier 2. In the following season, KKR missed the playoffs berth. Over two seasons, Karthik has led KKR to 19 victories in 37 games.
Eoin Morgan
What lies ahead for Morgan?
So far, KKR have won four out of seven games this season. They hold the fourth spot on the standings with eight points. Now, Morgan will aim to restructure the batting order of KKR. It remains to be seen if Tom Banton continues to open in place of Rahul Tripathi. The plans will unfold in KKR's next encounter against Mumbai Indians on Friday.