Massive update from the Indian Premier League.
Gautam Gambhir of Delhi Daredevils (DD) dropped a bomb on Wednesday as he stepped down as skipper of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise.
DD, which has arguably the worst record in the T20 tournament's history, has been languishing at the bottom of the table this time around as well.
Gambhir, who had a successful run with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) till last season, joined his home team as captain with high expectations. But DD's performance in IPL 11 has been well below par. Keeping that in mind, Gambhir decided to step aside and give way to Shreyas Iyer to lead the side.
"This is entirely my decision. I wasn't pressurised into taking it. I feel it's my responsibility as a senior to think about what's best for the team. And at this point, I reckon it's better if someone else leads the side," said Gambhir.
"May be I was too desperate to turn things around and that can backfire. It could be the reason. I just couldn't handle the pressure and when you don't do that, you have to own that up as a leader," Gambhir said in a press conference also attended by franchise CEO Hemant Dua and coach Ricky Ponting. "I was sitting alone and thinking, I couldn't handle the pressure... I was not good enough and that is all. I've set certain standards for myself and I haven't been able to live up to them. Bells started ringing in my head after the last defeat. I even spoke with my wife and we decided it's best to put up your hand and take responsibility," he added.
Iyer, on his part, seemed thrilled to be given such a huge responsibility. "I've always said I like challenges. It's a huge honour for me to lead DD in the upcoming matches," he said.
Ponting said that Iyer will be given full backing and won't have any added pressure. "He's batting really well at the moment and it's our job to ensure he's not given any undue pressure. We're still confident of our chances going forward. We've got four home games left, I'll make sure the guys are well prepared."
Ponting even lavished praise on Gambhir for his bold decision. "Taking a call like this isn't heard of in India. For someone of his stature and cricketing record, to take a decision like this is incredible. He deserves a lot of credit. I have a lot of respect for him," said the Australian.
DD have won just one of their six matches in IPL 2018. With just eight more games left for them in the league stage, their chances of qualifying for the knockouts are all but over.
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 "Delhi Daredevils' Gautam Gambhir (L) and Shreyas Iyer in action during IPL 2018")
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