CHENNAI : The 11th edition of IPL has its first non-performance casualty. Gautam Gambhir quit as captain of Delhi Daredevils on Wednesday following a string of defeats. One of the most successful captains in the history of IPL, he will continue to be with the team as a player. Batsman Shreyas Iyer was named the new captain.A report said Gambhir is willing to forego his salary and play for free. “Gautam has decided that he won’t take any salary from the franchise for the season. He will play the remaining part of IPL for the Daredevils for free,” it quoted a source as saying. Sources close to the player, however, refused to confirm this.
“The bell started ringing after the last game (against KXIP) and it was time to take the call. My performance has not been up to the mark. Maybe I was too desperate to turn things around,” Gambhir said. “I was sitting alone and thinking, I couldn’t handle the pressure... I was not good enough and that is all,” he added.
Appointed captain of a franchise that reached the last four just thrice in the first 10 years, Gambhir was expected to recreate what he had done as skipper of Kolkata Knight Riders. But his own form took a dip and he managed just 85 runs in five innings including 55 in the first. His team is occupying last spot on the table with one win after six matches.
“It is solely my decision and there was no pressure from the franchise. As I said, my performance was not up to the mark and I just could not handle the pressure. That could be one reason for stepping down,” Gambhir said at media conference attended also by coach Ricky Ponting and team CEO Hemant Dua.
Gambhir’s decision brings the young Iyer to the fore. The 23-year-old from Mumbai has scored fifties in the last two matches his team lost. But it has to be seen how he handles this responsibility, considering that he has never led at the senior level.