IPL 2018: 5 reasons why Dinesh Karthik will fail to replace Gautam Gambhir as KKR captain

Kolkata Knight Riders have undergone a huge change in this year's edition of VIVO IPL, particularly, by not retaining captain Gautam Gambhir in the IPL auctions, a few months ago.

Although CEO Venky Mysore has later confirmed as to why the franchise didn't opt to retain or even bid for their highly successful captain, in an interview, KKR have faced a series of criticism after the incident nonetheless.

While Gautam Gambhir has moved to hometown Delhi, Dinesh Karthik has been given the role of leading this highly successful IPL franchise for the upcoming season.

Karthik, who was embodied as a national hero, shortly after he struck a majestic six in the last ball to hand India an amazing victory against Bangladesh in the Nidahas trophy, a few weeks ago, is highly rated as one of the calmest and composed figures in Indian cricket.

In addition, the 32-year-old has also been around the International circuit for over a decade, meaning he is definitely a decent replacement for the departing Gautam Gambhir.

However, as a KKR fan myself, I highly doubt that he can fill in the relatively huge gap left by Gautam Gambhir and lead KKR to further glory in the coming years.

Therefore, in this article, we will talk about five reasons as to why the former Mumbai Indians star will fail to replace Gautam Gambhir as captain of KKR this season

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#5 He lacks the aggression

Gambhir's passion was evident

One of the most important facets which made Gautam Gambhir such an effective leader was his unmatched passion when it came to leading KKR. His aggressive style of captaincy was the often the driving force behind KKR's impressive performances week in week out.

Dinesh Karthik, on the other hand, is known for his composure on the field. The man from Chennai is nowhere as aggressive as his Delhi counterpart, meaning KKR will definitely lack the aggression which was brought in by Gautam Gambhir ever since his appointment as team captain in 2011.

Karthik is not expected to formulate an aggressive tactic as opposed to Gautam Gambhir and this can have a great effect on KKR's overall performance this season.

Although the former Mumbai Indians player boasts an impressive record captaining Tamilnadu in domestic T20, it's hard to believe that he will be able to replicate the legacy that Gautam Gambhir has left behind, during his time with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

#4 He is not as tactically astute as Gambhir

Gambhir's leadership skills were highly impressive

Dinesh Karthik has been around the International as well as the IPL circuit for a decade now. He's currently one of India's most experienced batsmen in all formats of the game.

But that being said, the Indian international might not be as tactically astute as Gautam Gambhir.

Kolkata Knight Riders have found astounding success under the leadership of the 36-year-old but that is largely down to the intricate tactics and an aggressive approach, embodied by the man from Delhi.

Gambhir's 'go for the kill' spirit is what transformed KKR into one of the stronger teams in the league but under Dinesh Karthik, the club may accrue a more conservative approach against the opposition.

#3 Gambhir's absence will be felt in the top-order

Manish Pandey could be a huge loss for KKR

One of the things that might hold back KKR from doing well this campaign is the simple fact that their squad is not as strong as other franchises.

Therefore, KKR will be overly reliant on the captaincy of Dinesh Karthik, which may put too much pressure on the former Mumbai Indians star.

Despite making some lucrative deals in the IPL auctions, earlier this year, the Knight Riders lack depth, especially in the bowling department. And the injury of Mitchell Starc is even more detrimental to the highly successful franchise.

The absence of Gautam Gambhir in the top-order will definitely reduce the stability of the batting order, therefore, the onus will be on the middle order to provide the necessary spark.

#2 KKR might not be as effective in early overs anymore

Mitchell Starc's absence will be a huge blow for Kolkata this season

Kolkata Knight Riders are a franchise, largely known for their excellent bowling attack, which was perfectly orchestrated by former captain Gautam Gambhir.

And despite the change in the turf at Eden Gardens in the past years, Gambhir's ingenuity of restricting the opposition within the first stage of an innings is what gave Kolkata an upper hand in the game.

However, with Dinesh Karthik, we might see a completely different approach in the bowling department this campaign. Having already lost frontline pacer Mitchell Starc, the Knight Riders are not expected to go for the kill in the powerplay and instead, captain Karthik could opt for a more defensive stance.

Karthik's conservative approach in the field could ultimately lead to the downfall of KKR, who have been by far one of the best bowling sides in the IPL, for the past seven years or so.

#1 He might find it difficult to manage an entirely new set of players

We won't witness the classic opening pair of Gambhir and Uthappa anymore

A major squad overhaul could also take its toll on Dinesh Karthik, who is a part of that major overhaul himself.

Having lost most of their star players in the IPL auctions earlier this year, Kolkata Knight Riders will have to rebuild their team from scratch, which may require time.

Unlike Gautam Gambhir, who was an instant hit with KKR, Dinesh Karthik might find it difficult to deal with KKR's relatively inferior squad this season.

With the deterioration of the highly rated Sunil Narine, Karthik will struggle to impose his team's authority in early stages of the game by using Narine as the impact bowler. Gambhir's excellence in executing the bowling spell of the West Indian was one of the key reasons behind KKR's success in the last seven years but the same can't be guaranteed this season.

But in the game of cricket, we never know. Therefore, it would be interesting to see how Dinesh Karthik manages to take on the responsibility of managing one of the most successful teams in IPL history this season.

But that being said, the proposition of Karthik replacing the legacy that Gautam Gambhir has left behind, seems a little too far-fetched at this point in time.