T20 World Cup 2021:  "If for India there is MS Dhoni, for England, it's Eoin Morgan"- Dinesh Karthik

Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik believes his KKR skipper Eoin Morgan deserves a lot of credit. Especially in the manner in which the Ireland-born cricketer led the franchise to the final of the 14th season of the IPL. This was despite them being in the lower half of the points table at the halfway mark.

Kolkata completed a stunning turnaround in the recently concluded season. They rose from the ashes to claim a spot in the final for the first time since 2014.

Morgan did not contribute anything as a batter. But Karthik believes the skipper deserves a lot of credit for the manner in which shepherd his troops on the field.

There was a lot of talk about whether Morgan should drop himself in the playoffs due to his poor form. But DK reckons the English skipper made the right call by not making that decision.

Speaking at CricBuzz Live, Karthik said-

"He (Morgan) took the right decision, he decided to play because as a player, he plays two roles- one is his batting and one is his captaincy. Definitely one of the main reasons why we (KKR) were able to reach the finals, you've got to give some credit to him. He made the right bowling changes, he had the right field placements.

'Almost throughout the game, you need to make about 60-80 decisions. It's not easy, it looks very simple from outside. He was able to take those decisions consistently and you've got to give him credit for that.’’

KKR eventually lost the final to CSK. But one thing that can’t be taken away from them is the fight they displayed after having lost five of their first seven fixtures.

"He has been an absolute champion as a leader" - Dinesh Karthik on Eoin Morgan

Leading into the T20 World Cup, Morgan clarified he won’t mind dropping himself from playing XI.

But Karthik believes Morgan deserves a lot of credit for the complete turnaround in England's fortunes in white-ball cricket since the 2015 World Cup. However, he admits his KKR skipper needs to get back into form. But the Tamil Nadu cricketer believes the presence of a shrewd skipper by Morgan on the field is absolutely key for England.

Karthik also went on to compare Morgan to Dhoni as far as the calmness that both guys bring to the field as well as in the dressing room.

He said-

"Yes, he has given an interview saying if need be I'll step out of the game. But don't forget if England is the No.1 T20 team in the world, please give some credit to Eoin Morgan. He has been an absolute champion as a leader. From 2015 when they got shoved out of the tournament, he has taken them to different heights, 2019 they won the tournament and in T20s they are No.1 in the world"

He added-

"Yes, in the last probably 6-8 months, he's not batted well. But that's okay, that's a small part of the game. He bats lower down the order..he can absorb pressure a lot of times.

'But look at what he has done to the franchise. He has brought the franchise to the final after we lost 5 out of seven games in the first half when none gave us a chance. He is a great leader, a lovely guy and every player in that England team respects him. If for India there is MS Dhoni, for England it's Eoin Morgan.’’

Morgan and England got off to a brilliant start to their T20 WC campaign as the former champions thumped the West Indies by six wickets in Dubai.