Six Players Who Quit Captaincy Mid-Way Through The IPL Season

There is a reason why the IPL [Indian Premier League] is considered to be the best franchise-based tournament in the world. Apart from the financial riches, the IPL is one of the most competitive leagues in the world, with the best locking horns against the best.

Such is the competitive nature of the tournament that even the best players sometimes find it difficult to match the level of expectations with their performances. And, we have seen on a plethora of instances in the past where high-profile cricketers, when faced with difficulties as both batsmen as well as a captain- have proceeded to drop themselves mid-way through the season to make way for other talents.

Here’s a look at six players who quit captaincy mid-way through the IPL season:

Kumar Sangakkara – Deccan Chargers, 2012

Fast forward to the 2012 season of the IPL, and Deccan Chargers were in midst of another forgettable season, and once again the indifferent form of their captain was the point of discussion among the folklore.

With just 200 runs in 12 league-stage games at an average of 18, skipper Kumar Sangakkara was in the midst of a rare bad season with the bat and with his performances mirroring his teams’ exploits- 5 defeats in 7 games- the former Sri Lankan captain decided to quit the leadership duties, paving way for the Australian all-rounder Cameron White to take over the reins.

But White wasn’t able to emulate the exploits of Adam Gilchrist as Deccan Chargers finished the season at the 8th spot [4 wins in 16 games].

Daniel Vettori – Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2012

After having led Royal Challengers Bangalore all the way to the finals of the 2011 edition of the IPL, off-spinner Daniel Vettori was going through a lean patch in the following edition.

With Muttiah Muralitharan waiting in the wings and his deputy Virat Kohli ready to take over the reins, the former Kiwi skipper decided to step-down from the leadership role midway through the season. RCB, however, failed to qualify for the playoffs as they finished at the 5th spot in the points table.

Adam Gilchrist – Kings XI Punjab, 2013

Adam Gilchrist scripted a whirlwind revolution in the fortunes of the now-defunct Deccan Chargers when he led them to IPL glory in 2009 after an abysmal season in 2008.

Gilchrist, one of the three overseas cricketers to lead their team to IPL triumph, was appointed the captain of Kings XI Punjab in 2011 but two years later, his dwindling form followed by the availability of the likes of Shaun Marsh on the bench, Gilly decided to drop himself from the team and relinquish the captaincy post to fellow Australian David Hussey. KXIP’s fortunes, however, did not change as they finished at the sixth spot in the points table.

Ricky Ponting – Mumbai Indians, 2013

A decision that not only proved to be a boon for the Mumbai Indians but also for the swashbuckling opening batsman Rohit Sharma.

Ricky Ponting was made the captain of the Mumbai-based franchise in the lead-up to the 2013 edition of the IPL. But Ponting, who had retired from international in the fall of 2012, endured a horrendous run with the bat, and it was only after six games when he decided to drop himself from the set-up and assume the role of a coach. Mumbai Indians appointed Rohit Sharma as captain, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Rohit not only led the Mumbai Indians to their maiden IPL triumph in the 2013 edition but since then he has gone to add three more trophies [2015, 2017 and 2019] to the MI cabinet, making them the most successful franchise in the history of the competition.

Also Read- Jason Roy Reveals Why He Pulled Out Of IPL 2020

Gautam Gambhir – Delhi Daredevils (Now Delhi Capitals), 2018

Five years later, Gautam Gambhir did a Ponting when he decided to relinquish his captaincy duties following a horrendous run with the bat as well as the captain of the erstwhile Delhi Daredevils. Gambhir, a two-time IPL-winning captain, had moved to his home side Delhi in 2018 in a bid to resurrect the sides’ fortunes and hopefully end his career on a high.

True, that I’ve stepped down from DD captaincy. Just to clarify it was my call, nothing from the management or coaching staff. I may not be leading from the front but I will be the last man standing for @DelhiDaredevils. No individual bigger than d team. Very much a #DilDIlli

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) April 25, 2018

But things turned south as soon as the IPL began as Delhi lost five of their opening six fixtures and what made matters worse for Gambhir, was his won form with the bat. And, so a complete team man that the southpaw is, he decided to step down and pave way for a young Shreyas Iyer to take over. Delhi failed to qualify in the playoffs in the 2018 edition but the following season proved to be really good as Iyer led his team to the top-4 for the first time since 2012.

Dinesh Karthik- Kolkata Knight Riders, 2020

Dinesh Karthik, who had led KKR in the past two IPL seasons, relinquished his leadership role before his sides’ all-important fixture against the Mumbai Indians in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Karthik, who has grappled with lack of form in the 2020 season, had come in the firing line for some of the tactics that he and the team-management had taken in the ongoing season.

With an aim to concentrate on his batting, Karthik relinquished the captaincy duties to England’s World Cup-winning captain, Eoin Morgan.

Karthik led KKR to 19 victories in 37 games that he had captained in, since 2018.