Published 18:24 IST, November 22nd 2020
Aakash Chopra wonders whether Dinesh Karthik had really relinquished his Kolkata captaincy
Aakash Chopra wondered whether Dinesh Karthik had really relinquished his Kolkata captaincy midway during the Dream11 IPL 2020. They were then led by Morgan
Aakash Chopra wonders whether Dinesh Karthik had really relinquished his Kolkata captaincy in the Dream11 IPL 2020. This had happened midway through the tournament i.e. on October 16. The former champions had won four of their seven matches by then before Eoin Morgan succeeded Karthik as the captain.
However, it was not a successful move as the Kolkata-based franchise could only manage to win three of their nine games and failed to consolidate a playoff berth as well.
'Would he have done that?': Aakash Chopra
“Firstly, I am disappointed because when you win four of your first seven matches and if you replicate that performance, then you are through, eight victories were more than enough for you to qualify. Delhi actually came second with 16 points,” said Chopra while interacting on his official Facebook page.
“So if things go bad from there, you change the captaincy halfway, it has been said that Dinesh Karthik gave up the KKR captaincy but would he have done that?”, the former Indian Test opener wondered.
Kolkata in Dream11 IPL 2020
The two-time champions had blown hot and cold in the 13th edition of the marquee tournament. They did manage to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in two successive games but at the same time, also suffered bitter defeats at the hands of Bangalore in both their league games against the three-time finalists (by 82 runs & 8 wickets respectively).
In their final league match, they faced the 2008 champions Rajasthan in what was a virtual quarterfinal that they went on to win by a huge margin of 60 runs after which their playoff chances relied on the final match of the league stages between Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Unfortunately, lady luck did not smile on them as the Orange Army decimated Rohit Sharma & Co. by 10 wickets to secure a fifth straight playoff berth while Kolkata were left to lick their wounds after being knocked out. The Eoin Morgan-led side finished the tournament at the fifth position with 14 points from the same number of matches.
Updated 18:24 IST, November 22nd 2020