Former champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are enduring a tough season in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), as they are struggling to find their place in the playoffs. While the side had their captain changed from Dinesh Karthik to Eoin Morgan, it has not done a significant change to their fortunes.
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Meanwhile, former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir feels that Karthik’s decision to relinquish the duties of captaincy made no sense, as it has neither helped his batting, nor the team’s fortunes. Gambhir also feels that Karthik was not in the right mindset currently.
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“It just shows the mindset. You left captaincy because you wanted to concentrate on batting, but then it hasn’t worked, so probably sometimes it’s good when you take up responsibilities. What I’ve realized is when I was through a worse phase in 2014, I got three ducks in a row when we started the tournament. It was captaincy that helped me that I could get back into form,” Gambhir told cricket.com.
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“The reason why because when I was not batting, I was thinking about how to make the team win through my captaincy and the decision making. But, when you’re not captaining, you’re thinking even more about your batting,” added Gambhir.
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KKR are currently placed in the sixth spot, having won six games and lost seven from 13 matches so far. Their final league game happens to be against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, which is a must-win for them, as a loss would entirely knock them out.
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Furthermore, KKR would also have to be dependent on the results of the other teams. They would also have to expect Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) to lose their final game, while Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) cannot win more than a match in their remaining two games.
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KKR are two-time champions of the IPL, having won it under Gambhir in 2012 and 2014. They finished in the fifth spot last season.
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