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IPL 2021: Five instances when franchises opted for mid-season leadership change
IPL 2021: Let’s have a look at those instances when the franchises had to go for a mid-season leadership change.
Indian Premier League has always acted as a platform for cricketers to enhance their abilities, no matter what stage they are playing at. For budding youngsters, IPL has been providing them with a chance to get noticed. Whereas for the experienced guys, this league acts as a laboratory to test their skill set, especially for the captains of the teams who lead a pack of 23-25 players for a period of 45 odd days.
The history of this cash-rich tournament includes a long list of players who have showcased their leadership skills at some point of time. While some were freshly appointed before the beginning of a new edition, some were handed the responsibilities in the middle of a particular season.
Let’s have a look at those instances when the franchises had to go for a mid-season captaincy change:
Anil Kumble takes over from Kevin Pieterson – RCB in 2009
India’s spin legend and former coach Anil Kumble took over the leadership of Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2009 after Kevin Pietersen left for national duty mid-way through the season. It was a major turnaround as Kumble guided the team to the season finale that year, despite struggling in the first half of the tournament. The side won six of their eight league games to finish third in the points table. RCB defeated MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in the semifinals and eventually lost to the Deccan Chargers in the final.
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Rohit Sharma takes over from Ricky Ponting – MI in 2013
Ricky Ponting was named Mumbai Indians captain in 2013 but the team struggled under his leadership in the first half of the season. Rohit Sharma replaced him midway and this move turned the fortunes of the team. Rohit led MI to their maiden title win. Rohit continues to lead the Mumbai Indian and is currently the most successful captain in the history of the league with five IPL titles and two Champions League titles.
Murali Vijay takes over from David Miller - Kings XI Punjab, 2016
Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) had a terrible start in the 2016 season. They succumbed to defeat in five out of the first six games. The team management decided to go for a leadership change and handed the responsibilities to Murali Vijay. However, the move didn’t pay off well as they finished at the bottom of the league for a second straight year.
Shreyas Iyer takes over from Gautam Gambhir - Delhi Daredevils, 2018
Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir returned to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2018 as captain after spending 7 successful years with Kolkata Knight Riders and leading them to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. But his comeback to his local franchise turned out to be disappointing, as Delhi lost five out of the first six matches. Eventually, Gambhir stepped down from his post and passed the baton to 23-year-old Shreyas Iyer, who led the rebranded Delhi Capitals to a third-place finish in 2019 and guided the team to the final in 2020.
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Eoin Morgan takes over from Dinesh Karthik – KKR, 2020
The Kolkata Knight Riders had a poor start to their campaign as they managed to register just 3 wins in their first 8 games. Dinesh Karthik, who struggled with the bat and on-field decisions, chose to step down and the management gave the control to England’s World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan. The change worked as the team returned to the winning ways but missed the ticket to playoffs due to a low net run rate. They finished fifth in the league stage with 14 points in their kitty.
