A few hours before their IPL 2020 match against Mumbai Indians Dinesh Karthik on Friday (October 16) has informed the Kolkata Knight Riders management that he is stepping down as the team's captain. He has handed over the reins of the team to Eoin Morgan, the World Cup winning England skipper.

1. Why Karthik resigned from KKR captaincy? Karthik said he has taken the decision with a view to focus on his batting and contributing more to the team's cause, and he wished Morgan all success in his new role as KKR captain.

Venky Mysore, CEO of KKR said: While thanking DK he said “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. DK and Eoin have worked brilliantly together during this tournament and although Eoin takes over as captain, this is effectively a role swap and we expect that this transition will work in a seamless manner".

2. Shift in captaincy was hinted.  The shift in captaincy was very much in focus after Eoin Morgan was drafted in as the vice-captain at the beginning of the season. To top it, the personal form of Karthik was not really up to the scratch as he more than one occasion has failed to shore up KKR batting while coming at the middle-order. And there was a lot of criticism of his captaincy too as some calls like keeping Morgan for late did not help the team.

Karthik IPL 2020 record Dinesh Karhik has made 108 runs from 7 matches at 15.42 with one fifty. On the other hand, Morgan has made 175 runs from 7 matches, second best behind Subhman Gill's 254, with a highest of 44. He averages 35.

Kolkata Knight Riders Profile

Captain: Eoin Morgan, Coach: Brendon McCullum, Home ground: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

IPL titles: 2 (2012, 2014), Owners: Red Chillies Entertainment, Mehta Group

One of three teams to have won more than one IPL title, KKR are owned by actors Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, and Chawla’s husband Jay Mehta. The franchise was purchased for about Rs 262.5 crore (about US$75.09 million) in 2008 and has been one of the tournament’s most popular teams.

History

Under SouravGanguly and then Brendon McCullum, the Knight Riders’ first three years were forgettable. They had the likes of Ricky Ponting, Chris Gayle and (briefly) Shoaib Akhtar alongside promising young Indian bowlers like Ishant Sharma and Iqbal Abdulla, but the highest they finished in the first three seasons was sixth.

Following the appointment of GautamGambhir as captain ahead of the fourth season, 2011, KKR made their first playoffs that year. Yusuf Pathan also became a key member, along with Jacques Kallis. In 2012, KKR won their first IPL, thanks in part to new signings Sunil Narine and Robin Uthappa. Boosted by additions Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Piyush Chawla and Andre Russell, they won the title in 2014 again. The next three years were full of promise but failed to earn KKR another title. Gambhir’s era ended when he wasn’t retained ahead of the 2018 auction.

Wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik was handed the reins in 2018. A young squad was built around him, Narine and Russell, with an eye on the future. In his debut season as captain, Karthik led KKR to third place.

The highs: KKR’s two titles in three years remain their zenith. The first win, in 2012, was a landmark because of how poorly the team had fared in the first four seasons. The win in 2014, when they chased the highest-ever IPL final total, against Kings XI Punjab, cemented that year’s squad as legends forever.

The lows: The dream of a fairy tale under Ganguly did not bear fruit, and there was conflict between him and Coach John Buchanan, whose multiple-captains strategy drew laughs, especially after the team’s fortunes sank further. The omission of Ganguly ahead of 2011 threatened to ruin Kolkata’s love for KKR, and the ruckus over the Fake IPL player (an anonymous blogger who appeared to have inside information) in the early years made them the butt of jokes as well.

Season by season: 2008 – sixth, 2009 – eighth, 2010 – sixth, 2011 - fourth

2012 –Champions: KKR’s first title came under Gambhir and new coach Trevor Bayliss, who replaced DavWhatmore. Two losses to begin, then two wins, a loss, six straight victories, two losses, and finally two wins, meant they finished the league stage second. In the final, ManvinderBisla’s 89 helped KKR chase a tricky 191. It was Narine’s breakthrough season; he was No. 2 on the KKR bowling charts, and he would top them for the next two years.

2013 - Seventh

2014 –Champions: Having lost five of their first seven games, KKR seemed destined for an early exit, but a streak of nine wins in a row handed them a second title. Gambhir and Uthappa’s partnerships set KKR up for breezy finishes, which Pathan usually provided. Kuldeep Yadav and Kallis put in regular contributions too, and in the final, Pandey’s 94 helped KKR chase 200 against Kings XI Punjab for the title.

2015 –Fifth, 2016 – fourth, 2017 – third, 2018 – third, 2019 – fifth.

2020: KKR so far played 9 matches. Won: 5(5th victory in Super Over against SRH), lost: 4, their points stand at 10 & 4th in position.

Remaining Matches: 21th: KKR vs RCB, 24 th: KKR vs DC, 26th: KKr vs KXI P, 29th: CSK vs KKR, Nov 1st: KKR vs RR


-By Urban DSouza