Published 13:32 IST, November 7th 2020
Gautam Gambhir amongst top Twitter trends for slamming Virat Kohli's Bangalore captaincy
Gautam Gambir trended on Twitter after he urged the Bangalore team to sack captain Virat Kohli, adding that their team didn't deserve a playoff spot.
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Banglore's loss against Hyderabad confirmed their exit from the Dream11 IPL 2020 playoffs. Despite his consistent performance during the league matches, Kohli was dismissed for only 6 (7) by Jason Holder in the second over. Kohli was trolled for his playoffs performances online, following which the 32-year-old Indian cricket star posted a heartfelt message for fans.
However, former Indian men's cricket team opener Gautam Gambhir shared his candid views about Kohli's captaincy in an interview with ESPNcricinfo. As per Gambhir, the team needs to sack Kohli, who has captained the team for eight years without winning them a title. As expected, Gambhir's remarks were discussed by fans online. The 39-year-old retired cricketer was praised by many for his candid comments, agreeing that the Bangalore team and Kohli need to take responsibility.
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Also read | Gautam Gambhir urges Bangalore to sack Virat Kohli, says team didn't deserve playoffs spot
Fans react to Gautam Gambhir's comment ok Kohli after Hyderabad vs Banglore match
"Totally agree with Gautam gambhir," one fan wrote, while many were impressed by his honest comments. Some fans defended Kohli, but some chose to point out how Gambhir is a great analyst. "Gambhir at his best," another fan wrote, referring to the cricket icon's comments about the team not deserving a spot in the playoffs. Another user hinted at a controversial topic, stating how the same fans would troll Gambhir if he spoke about MS Dhoni instead of Kohli.
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Also read | Virat Kohli falls to new all-time Dream11 IPL low against Hyderabad; Kohli stats in Dream11 IPL 2020
While speaking after the match on Friday, Gambhir held nothing back as he spoke about Kohli needing to "take accountability" as the team's captain. He explained that it was not just about this year, but about Kohli leading a team which has barely even made it to the playoffs in eight years.
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"Tell me any other captain - forget about captain - tell me any other player who would have got eight years and wouldn't have won the title and would have still continued with it. So it has to be accountability. A captain needs to take accountability," Gambhir said
Gambhir, who captained Kolkata, questioned which player would have eight years to lead a team, but still not win a title. He added that he has nothing against Kohli, but needs the Indian cricket team captain to say he is responsible for their constant loss. He mentioned Ravichandran Ashwin, who was fired after two seasons with Punjab.
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Additionally, he even spoke about Rohit Sharma and Dhoni, who have stayed in their positions as a result of their multiple titles. "There should not be different yardsticks for different people," he added. Kohli and Banglore have made the playoffs twice in eight years, losing to Hyderabad themselves in 2016. They started the 2020 season strong, but struggled in the end with five consecutive losses. Over the last three years, the team has ended up in the bottom of the points table.
Kohli stats in Dream11 IPL 2020
Kohli is one the league's most consistent scorers, leadind with 5,878 runs in 192 matches with a 38.16 average and 130.73 strike rate. This season, the right-hander scored 466 runs in 15 matches, averaging 42.36 per game, which included three fifties. Suresh Raina, who follows Kohli on the all-time runs list, trails by over 500 runs.
(Image credits: PTI, Dream11 IPL Twitter – @IPL)
13:32 IST, November 7th 2020