Gautam Gambhir has stepped down as the skipper of the Delhi Daredevils in the VIVO IPL 2018 on the back of a string of losses. The team lost five of their six games and will have to play catch-up to qualify for the playoffs.

Gambhir made the announcement in Delhi ahead of their second home game in the presence of coach Ricky Ponting and CEO Hemant Dua. “As the leader of the ship, I take complete responsibility for where we are in the points table and I have decided after seeing the points table and the performance of the team to step down.

“I announce Shreyas Iyer as the next captain. I think that is the way forward for the franchise and we all feel that he is going to do a very good job. He is the right guy to take this franchise and team forward and we believe that we have got the group to turn it around. We still need to win seven out of the (remaining) eight games and it is absolutely possible in this format. Teams have done it in the past and we have the capability and we have the confidence to do that this year as well,” he said.

While backing Gambhir’s decision, the head coach said, “I just want to back up what Gautam said. It is a tough decision for anybody to make; to put their hand up and say that their performances haven’t been good enough and there is someone else in the side to take their spot. Congratulations to Gautam for putting the team ahead of his own individual thoughts. It takes and shows a lot of character for a leader of the team to put his hand up and say this. I also fully endorse Shreyas Iyer as our next captain.

“He is a terrific young player, whom I see having a huge future in the game; huge future as a leader of the Delhi Daredevils.

On my behalf, I would like to congratulate GG (Gambhir) on the decision that he has made. As tough as it may be, it now gives us a really fresh start for the last half of this tournament.We can really make an impact on the tournament with the talent that we have around our group and am looking forward to it,” he added.

Mr.Dua added that Gambhir will carry on for DD as a player and mentor and play a bigger role for the team.

The newly appointed captain, Iyer said, “I would like to thank the management and coaches and Gautibhai for selecting me as a captain. I think it is a great honour to lead the Delhi Daredevils. I think that we have a lot of potential as a team to win the tournament. We have got eight games in our hand and there are lots of us who believe that we can do something great.

“I am really loving the responsibility that they have given me and the faith that they showed in me. I just got the news today afternoon,” Iyer said while adding that the trio had a meeting and told him about his additional role.

“There is a lot to learn from Ricky Ponting and Gauti bhai. They will be mentoring us and it will be a great success definitely,” Iyer mentioned when asked about the challenge he sees while taking on the mantle at a crucial juncture in the tournament.

Elaborating on the road ahead for Iyer and the team, Ponting said, “It’s my job now. It’s Gautam’s job and everyone’s job to male Iyer’s job as easy as possible on the field. There are a couple of training days on the field. It’s our jobs as coaches that they train well and are as prepared for what is coming. A big part of coaching is making sure that the captain has got everything that he needs and be well prepared for the challenge. There is no extra pressure onIyer at all. We want him to go out and play as he has been playing. We want to create a nice relaxed environment. Things are getting tough for us. It is a great challenge with a new captain we are all excited to see how it all works out for us.