NEW DELHI, April 26 Gautam Gambhir sent shockwaves across the country after announcing that he was stepping down as captain of Delhi Daredevils (DD) in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The surprising decision stemmed from Delhi's dismal run in the eleventh edition of India's T20 league.
Gautam Gambhir sacrificed his Rs 2.8 million salaries after deciding to play for Delhi for free in the ongoing season. Gautam has decided that he won't take any salary from the franchise for the season. He will play remaining part of IPL for the Delhi Daredevils for free,
Kolkata crush Gujarat by 10 wickets in IPL
True, that I’ve stepped down from DD captaincy. Just to clarify it was my call, nothing from the management or coaching staff. I may not be leading from the front but I will be the last man standing for @DelhiDaredevils. No individual bigger than d team. Very much a #DilDIlli
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) April 25, 2018
With just one win and five defeats in six games, Delhi have found themselves languishing at the eighth spot in the points tally. Beginning their campaign with six-wicket loss against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi were undone by Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their second game which was marred by rain. Their first victory this season came against defending champions Mumbai who were tamed by Jason Roy's blitzkrieg in their own den.
But, just when the Delhi fans had begun dreaming, their demons once again came out crawling from the closet. Losing to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Punjab, Delhi's misfortunes in the league continued this season. With just one win and five losses in six games so far, Delhi are languishing at a lowly eighth spot in the points table, requiring seven wins in their remaining eight matches to remain in contention for the Playoffs.
As much Delhi's unfavorable results this season, Gambhir's personal form also seems to have taken a toll on the Delhi cricketer. For a man who slammed 3,345 runs in 122 games for Kolkata and guided them to two IPL titles, Gambhir has been a shadow of himself this year. In six matches, Gambhir has managed to score just 85 runs, which includes an innings of 55 that he scored against Kings XI Punjab in Delhi's opening match of the season in Mohali. Since then, Gambhir has poor scores of DNB, 15, 8, 3 and 4 respectively.
If he wanted, Gambhir could have easily carried on leading Delhi in the remaining matches of the IPL. He wouldn't have been blamed for Delhi's dismal show, especially when the entire team has failed to click as a unit. But, he didn't do that. Rather than selfishly passing on the blame and carrying the mantle for hapless Delhi, Gambhir stepped down and appears to focus on contributing with the willow.
