IPL 2018: Why Robin Uthappa as KKR captain still makes more sense

After the two-day affair of the IPL Auction 2018 ended on 28 January and all the franchises built their final squads, there was one question which topped the asking charts as far as the Kolkata Knight Riders were concerned.

"Who is going to be KKR's captain?" everyone inquired as a quick glance through their 19-man teamsheet revealed no orthodox pick for inheriting the skipper's role. Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa emerged as the initial prospects for the same.

The Aussie swashbuckler was within consideration because of his past exploits as the captain of Queensland and Brisbane Heat. The Karnataka-born lad, on the other hand, has been an important member of the KKR side since 2014 and was being evaluated for skippering the two-time IPL champs as a result of his seniority in the side.

The KKR management, however, quashed all rumours and whispers when they announced Tamil Nadu-born Dinesh Karthik as the captain of the franchise on 4 March 2018. Karthik, who incidentally is the first Indian to win a Man of the Match award in a T20I, most notably boasts of having led Tamil Nadu to a Vijay Hazare Trophy triumph in the 2016-17 season as captain.

While nothing can be taken away from DK for his skills as a batsman or as a leader, being an ardent fan of the Kolkata Knight Riders, I would still prefer Robin Uthappa as the captain of the Knights.

Robin Uthappa's connect with the franchise and the fans

As mentioned earlier, Robin Uthappa has been one of KKR's crucial players since joining the side in 2014. He led the title charge of the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise in his first year with them, amassing a total of 660 runs and winning the Orange Cap in the process.

Uthappa has played every season of the IPL and is a veteran of the tournament having scored a total of 3735 runs in the tournament. Since joining the Knight Riders, Uthappa has scored a minimum of 350 runs in all the four years he has played for his current IPL side, despite being deprived of his regular opener's role last season.

Uthappa holds the record of scoring 10 consecutive knocks of 40+ runs in the IPL

As a result, the Saurashtra player receives a lot of respect from fans and pundits alike, deservingly so at that. He has been a mainstay for KKR in the recent years and as a result, the fans connect more with him than with Dinesh Karthik.

As far as captaincy questions go, while Uthappa does not have much on his CV to support his claim, he is, however, an experienced campaigner, when it comes to IPL. He has played for four IPL sides and a whopping total of 149 matches.

IPL is not a new challenge for Uthappa. He knows what beckons come April 2018. His four-year stay with KKR means that he is more accustomed to the Eden Gardens pitch as well as the KKR support staff and administration, much of which has remained the same over the last few years.

Hence, the 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman from Kodagu is prepared enough to inherit the baton of captaincy for the Knight Riders.

Dinesh Karthik's role as a finisher

The recently concluded Nidahas Trophy all but reaffirmed Dinesh Karthik's role as a brilliant finisher of the game. His 29 run knock off 8 balls was unprecedented, yet he was the only batsman in the Indian side in the game against Bangladesh who could have achieved this feat.

While the 19-man KKR squad boasts of some formidable bowling options, batting remains the primary concern for the 2012 and 2014 IPL champions.

The Knight Riders still have enough options in the likes of Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Robin Uthappa, and Apoorv Wankhade to slot in the top and middle order of the batting line-up. The one role that does not have enough shoes to fill in for KKR is that of a finisher.

While Andre Russell is a more than handy option at the No. 6 or 7 slot, the hamstring injury he suffered in the ongoing Pakistan Super League has raised considerable doubts about the West Indian's participation in the IPL.

Dinesh Karthik is KKR's best bet for finishing duties

Karthik is a batsman of the perfect mould to fit in the KKR lower order and steady the ship if the top and middle order falter while also boasting of the dexterity required to provide a quickfire finish to the innings. Thus, it is of utmost importance that Karthik focuses more on his batting and brings his best to the table for KKR.

The 32-year-old Karthik is joining a new franchise in the Kolkata Knight Riders this year having represented the Gujarat Lions in the last two years of the IPL. Moreover, he has a dearth of youngsters at his disposal.

This means that Karthik will not only have to adapt to the state of things at the Eden Gardens outfit but also extract the best performances out of the potential that the young stalwarts possess.

While there are no second thoughts about Karthik's competency to do so, this puts more pressure on him and requires him to contribute to other players' cause.

As a result, Dinesh Karthik will not be able to prioritise the perfection of his batting skill-set and may not be able to score the big runs that KKR so desperately need him to. Thus, putting the burden of captaincy on someone else paves the way for the former Tamil Nadu captain to focus on honing his skills with the willow.

Conclusion

Appointing Dinesh Karthik as the KKR captain does not really come across as a shocking decision given the credibility of the player. Robin Uthappa, however, is better poised to take over the reins after Gautam Gambhir's departure.

KKR have a thin batting quartet, especially with the limited lower order options. Karthik is an important piece of the Knight Riders' puzzle and needs to fire all cylinders with the bat. Taking the toil of skippering the side away from him will only provide him more time to work towards his run-scoring goals.