IPL 2018: 4 reasons why KKR chose Dinesh Karthik and not Robin Uthappa as Captain

As the dust settled around the IPL auctions, the real quandary began for Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite spending most of their purse, the franchise missed a trick in the auctions.

The team lacked an experienced Indian pacer and did not have suitable backups in case the front-liners became unavailable. Above all, the biggest loophole in their squad was the absence of captaincy material.

Amid speculations around the next Captain doing the rounds, most people placed their bet on Robin Uthappa.

Uthappa has been associated with KKR for the past four years and has been their star performer. The fact that KKR used their Right-to-Match card to bag Uthappa for 6.4 crores further threw weight behind these claims.

Even the state’s most loved cricketer and former KKR Captain Sourav Ganguly backed the Karnataka lad for the role.

However, after a long wait, the Venky Mysore led KKR management nominated the Tamil Nadu keeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik as their next Captain, naming Uthappa the vice-captain.

While this move may seem out of the blue at first sight, here are four reasons which may end up convincing you that it is actually not that illogical a choice.

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#1 Consistent performer

Karthik averaged over 35 in IPL 2017 as compared to Uthappa's 30

It may have gone under the radar but Karthik has been a consistent performer throughout the ten years of his IPL career.

With an IPL career average of a shade under 25 and a strike rate of 125, Karthik has a fairly decent record for someone who serves the team as a keeper as well.

This is the reason why he bagged fat paychecks of 12.5 and 10.5 crores in the 2014 and 2015 seasons of the IPL respectively.

Last year also, the Tamil Nadu keeper starred for the Gujarat Lions with an average of 36.10 and a strike rate touching 140.

Comparatively, Uthappa with an average close to 30 fell a little short.

#2 Captaincy experience

Karthik has way more captaincy experience than Uthappa

The biggest thing that went in Karthik’s favour was his captaincy experience.

Having captained Tamil Nadu to the title victory in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2009-10 and India Red in the 2017 Duleep Trophy, Karthik is no greenhorn when it comes to leading the side.

Even in the shortest format of the game, he has already proven his captaincy credentials by leading TUTI Patriots to the title in the 2016 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League.

On the contrary, Uthappa hasn’t had any major captaincy assignment other than leading India A for a slim span, five years back in 2013.

#3 Manish Pandey and Suryakumar Yadav went to other franchises

Manish Pandey could have been a good prospect for KKR's captaincy

Manish Pandey was one candidate who could have been sincerely considered for KKR’s captaincy.

Pandey’s average was nearly 50 in the last season and his fielding skills too, made him a hot property for the job. But KKR chose not to break their bank for him as they let him go to the Sunrisers Hyderabad for 11 crores.

Surya Kumar Yadav, the former KKR vice-captain, was someone in whom the franchise had heavily invested.

They had named him the vice-captain in 2015 and it was expected that he would take over the captaincy once Gautam Gambhir decides to hang his boots.

Gambhir himself rated the right-hander very highly. “He is someone to look out for in the future and he has a very, very bright future,” Gambhir had said for Yadav.

Having captained the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team in the 2014-15 season, the 27-year-old also possessed adequate experience. But Yadav was snaffled by Mumbai Indians for 3.2 crores.

#4 Slender options

Lynn injured himself again in the Trans-Tasman Twenty20 Tri-Series

It is apparent that KKR lacked options that had the natural flair to lead the side.

Among available options, KKR shortlisted five candidates in Uthappa, Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Vinay Kumar and Dinesh Karthik as their captaincy candidates.

Further, they zeroed in on Uthappa, Lynn and Karthik through a public poll.

But after Lynn injured himself again in the Trans-Tasman T20 Tri-Series, his fragile body and dodgy shoulder outweighed his explosive batting.

Therefore, with Lynn out of the race and Uthappa earmarked as the vice-captain, Karthik seemed to be the most sensible choice for the role of the KKR captain.

He appeared from nowhere and seized upon what was up for grabs.