New Delhi: Shreyas Iyer was inducted on Wednesday to replace the off-colour Gautam Gambhir as captain of the Delhi Daredevils, the former India opener saying he wasn’t good enough for the job. The 36-year-old will, however, continue to be a part of the team for the remaining eight games. Gambhir, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to two titles in the T20 tournament and played international cricket for over a decade, said he was not able to handle the pressures of captaincy.
Ironically enough, Gambhir’s step comes just two days ahead of the Daredevils’ next home game against KKR at the Kotla here.
“The bell started ringing after the last game (against Kings XI Punjab, the Daredevils’s first home game at the Kotla) and it was time to take a call. My own performance has not been up to the mark. Maybe I was too desperate to turn things around,” Gambhir said, sitting alongside team coach Ricky Ponting and team boss Hemant Dua.
“I was sitting alone and thinking, I couldn’t handle the pressure... I was not good enough and that is all,” he added.
For Mumbai batsman Iyer, who first joined the Daredevils four years ago, it is a real opportunity and he is excited at the challenge of his first shot at captaincy. He becomes DD’s 11th captain in as many seasons.
“I am really loving the responsibility. I love facing challenges. It is a great opportunity to prove myself and take the team to the highest level possible,” said Iyer adding that he had been told of the developments just hours earlier.
“I take full responsibility for the position we are in. And looking at the position, I have decided to step down as captain. Shreyas Iyer will take over. I still feel we have the team to turn things around,” Gambhir said later on Twitter.
Gambhir and Ponting were roped in by the franchise ahead of the season, hoping for a turnaround the fortunes of the IPL’s perennial bridesmaid. That has, however, not been the case and the Daredevils have won just once in six games so far this season.
For all his famed pugnacity, Gambhir’s performance in this edition has been sub-par. He scored 55 in the opening game before failing in the next four innings.
Gambhir said it had been his call on the captaincy, and his alone.
