IPL 2019: Gautam Gambhir Slams Virat Kohli's Captaincy Again

Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir has once again criticised Virat Kohli’s captaincy after the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s poor display in the ongoing season so far.  Before the start of the IPL, Gambhir had criticised Kohli’s captaincy too.  Gambhir, who brought down curtains on his illustrious career last December, said that Kohli should consider himself lucky for retaining the Royal Challengers’ captaincy.

Kohli took charge of the team in 2013 after the retirement of Daniel Vettori. Fast forward to 2019 and the Royal Challengers are still searching for their first IPL title. In fact, the Bangalore-based outfit is one of the most inconsistent teams in the league in the last few years. Ever since Kohli took charge, they made it to the playoffs just once when in 2016 their skipper scored nearly 1,000 runs and led the team to the final.

“I don’t see him as a shrewd captain. I don’t see him as a tactful captain (tactician). And he hasn’t won the IPL. So ultimately, a captain is only as good as his record,” Gautam Gambhir had told Star Sports.

Their fortunes this season have been even worse. The Royal Challengers are yet to open their account even after five games and are in danger of missing out on a playoff spot once again. From getting bowled out for just 70, conceding 231 to failing to defend 205, the Royal Challengers have already seen suffered some morale-crushing defeats this season. With five defeats in as many games, the Royal Challengers need a herculean task to make it to the final over this year.

And amidst all this, Gambhir has criticised Kohli’s captaincy again. The World Cup-winning star admitted that Kohli is a master batsman but he is an ‘apprentice’ when it comes to captaincy. He also said that Kohli should take the blame on himself rather than blaming the bowlers.

“While Virat Kohli the batsman is an absolute master, Virat Kohli the captain is an apprentice. He has loads to learn. Rather than blaming the bowlers he should take the blame on himself,” Gautam Gambhir  wrote in his column in The Times of India.

Gambhir also said that Royal Challengers’ made a mess at the auction table last December.

“I would start with last year’s auction where they messed up. Why did they go for Marcus Stoinis and Nathan Coulter-Nile if they knew these players were not available from the start?

“At a small venue like the Chinnaswamy, where the wicket is flat, I would have gone with an out-and-out fast bowler,” said Gambhir.