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Former India opener Aakash Chopra and all-rounder Irfan Pathan have expressed their concerns after Dinesh Karthik decided to step down as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain.
Karthik opted to leave captaincy ahead of KKR’s eighth fixture in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Abu Dhabi.
The Tamil Nadu cricketer handed over the responsibility to England limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan. Not to mention that Karthik was under pressure despite KKR being in top four at the points table.
Reacting to Karthik’s decision, Chopra opined that the timing to swap captaincy wasn’t right. He even raised questions Morgan’s batting form in IPL 2020.
“They have a game tonight. And while it’s their decision to make, Morgan’s batting form has left a lot to be desired in IPL 2020 There’s another team in the competition that’s struggling with their overseas captain’s form,” tweeted Chopra.
They have a game tonight. And while it’s their decision to make, Morgan’s batting form has left a lot to be desired in #IPL2020 There’s another team in the competition that’s struggling with their overseas captain’s form. https://t.co/GiQOvH7nJo
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 16, 2020
Following Chopra, Irfan questioned the necessity for a mid-season change of captaincy.
“Mid season change in Captaincy is never a comfortable situation for the team members. Hope KKR doesn’t go astray from here. They are very much in the race for the playoffs!,” Irfan wrote on Twitter.
Mid season change in Captaincy is never a comfortable situation for the team members. Hope #kkr doesn't go astray from here. They are very much in the race for the playoffs! #DineshKarthik #Eoinmorgan
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 16, 2020
“Karthik wants to focus more on his batting”: KKR CEO
KKR CEO Venky Mysore broke the news on social media after he released a statement which said that Karthik wants to focus on his batting and to contribute more to the team’s cause.
Venky also heaped praises on the 35-year-old cricketer, saying that the latter always ‘put the team first’.
“We are fortunate to have leaders such as DK, who has always put the team first. 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. We are also fortunate that Eoin Morgan, the 2019 World Cup-winning captain, who has been the vice-captain, is willing to lead the side going forward,” Venky said in the official statement.
