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IPL 2018: Gautam Gambhir steps down as Delhi Daredevils captain

This has been reached to a point where something has to deliver and the Cricket player Gautam Gambhir, the captain of Delhi Daredevils on whom the franchise had set their expectations of turning things around the post a lukewarm response shown in the first decade of the IPL, series.

IPL 2018: Gautam Gambhir steps down as Delhi Daredevils captain

The Winner of 2 IPL trophies with KKR, the amongst the most-experienced captain in the IPL, Gautam Gambhir now decided to step down from his post in 2 days post-Delhi suffered from their fifth loss in the 6th games in IPL 2018.

“As leader of this ship, I take up complete responsibility for where we are in the points table,” Gambhir said during addressing the media in Delhi on the last Wednesday on 25th April 25.

“And I have decided, seeing the points table and the performance of the team, to step down as captain. Shreyas Iyer will be the next captain. I think that is the way forward for the franchise. We all feel that he’ll do a very good job”, he added further.

This was perhaps when Gautam Gambhir put it, as a consequence of trying too hard in order to turn the lucks of the team around and putting pressure on oneself.

This resulted in that the team Delhi not playing to potential, and Gambhir was unable to form a front for even his own team.

“Maybe I was too desperate to turn things around and at times it can backfire as well. Sometimes you’re too eager, too keen, too desperate to turn things around, it just makes it hard on your own self. That could be the reason. Sometimes you realize that maybe I just couldn’t handle the pressure which came with the position I was given. I was very, very eager to turn it around and that could be the reason I can point down to. After that last game, I thought maybe that was the reason why I couldn’t fire and I couldn’t handle the pressure”.

“I’ve set standards for myself, and when you’re not able to achieve those standards, you’ve to put your hand up. The bells started ringing after the last game, which we should have won. And sometimes when you dig deep, and you get an answer, you know it’s time,” Gambhir give his opinion.

The decision to step down by the side of Gautam Gambhir was not surprising much, still, there weren’t such precedents in Indian cricket. Delhi Daredevils were stuck to the bottom of the table, and the team was expected to shows their caliber in order to have a proper and the right start.

Though, Gautam Gambhir is someone who did once something incredible for his team.

“[I] have been in the same situation years ago. Obviously, it’s a tough decision for anyone to make,” Ponting said. “Would like to say congratulations to Gautam for putting the team ahead of individual thoughts. It takes and shows a lot of character. I also fully endorse Shreyas Iyer as the next captain. He’s a terrific young man who I can see has a huge future in the game and huge future as leader of the Delhi side. It gives us a really fresh start for the last half of this tournament, one which we think we can have an impact on the talent we have”, Gambhir said.

With the new and the fresh starting, this is what Daredevils wish for. With 2 points in 6 games, they can’t afford to. Thus, this is the time for the re-start too which is right for the team.

Still, if the team Delhi Daredevils set a target of the 14 points, that is usually what it takes for a team to have through to the playoffs, they need to win 6 out of the next 8 games. With an alteration and moderation in the guard and 6 games at home to follow, this perhaps just be the shot in the arm Delhi need.

“[It was] absolutely my decision,” Gambhir reiterated. “I thought that I haven’t contributed enough, and at the same time the performance of the team. I had to take the responsibility being the leader of the ship and I owe that responsibility. So I feel that it was the right time because we are still very much in this competition, so this was the right time. There was no pressure from the franchise, they’ve been absolutely supportive about it, but sometimes when your conscience says that it’s the right time, you’ve to take that [call].”

The new captain at the helm, Iyer also justified the Gambhir’s statements.

“I would like to thank the management, the coaches and Gauti bhai for selecting me as captain,” Iyer said. “I think the team still has a lot of potentials to win the tournament. We have eight games in our hand, and lots of us still believe we can do something great. I just got the news today afternoon. There’s a lot to learn from Ricky Ponting and Gauti bhai.”

“It’s my job now. Mine, Gautam’s job and all the players’ job to make Shreyas’s job easier,” Ponting added. “A big part of coaching is making sure the captain has got everything he needs for the challenge. There is no extra pressure on Shreyas Iyer. We want him to play the way he’s been playing, which he’s been doing terrifically well. Sure things are getting tough for us, but it’s a great challenge for us.”

The challenge will not be any tougher for Delhi, but this is expected that they have made the right call at any right time anyhow.

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