Karthik stepping down from KKR captaincy incredibly selfless: new skipper Morgan
Abu Dhabi: Kolkata Knight Riders' new skipper Eoin Morgan on Friday hailed Dinesh Karthik's decision to step down as captain of the IPL side as an "incredibly selfless" act of putting the team ahead of an individual.
Karthik handed over the reins to his deputy Morgan hours before their IPL match against Mumbai Indians here.
"Yes, I was surprised as was everybody. Yesterday, DK informed he want to step back and focus on his batting as he feels that is the best option for the team," Morgan said in an interview with Darren Ganga.
"I think it is incredibly selfless and that also shows a lot of courage from him to do that, putting the team first ahead of him being the skipper."
He said he will continue to take help from other players in the leadership group, including Karthik.
"I am delighted to continue the leadership role within this side. Obviously captain and not vice-captain now, and hopefully, continue to work alongside our players.
"I think between me and Dinesh, captain and vice-captain, we can be at the forefront of that, obviously the driving engine, with these guys behind us."
Morgan said a lot of youngsters, such as Shubman Gill, have also been "leading from the front".
"I have been quite myself. Within any good side or great side in the world, you have to have a number of leaders within the change room and we have them in abundance.
"We have a lot of young guys coming through, lead from the front. Gill, Rana to name a few. Nagarkoti stepped up at different stages and we have an abundance of overseas players to lead as well.
"We are halfway through the tournament at the moment. We have shown some potential and have not yet achieved the majority of... Tonight will be another test and hopefully, we will be up to it."
Karthik had told the KKR management that he wants to "focus on his batting and contributing more to the team's cause." Appointed skipper in 2018, the 35-year-old led KKR in 37 matches.
"We are fortunate to have leaders such as DK, who has always put the team first. It takes a lot of courage for someone like him to make a decision such as this," team CEO Venky Mysore said in a statement.
"While we were surprised by his decision, we are respectful of his wishes."
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Air India flight to Mumbai returns to Jaipur shortly after take-off
Jaipur, Jul 25 (PTI): An Air India flight bound for Mumbai from Jaipur returned to the airport due to a suspected technical snag mid-air on Friday, officials said.
"Flight AI612 operating from Jaipur to Mumbai returned to Jaipur shortly after take-off due to a suspected technical issue. Troubleshooting checks were carried out, and it was determined to be a false indication," Air India said in a statement.
Following the checks, the aircraft was cleared for operations, and the flight continued to its destination in Mumbai.
Air India, in its statement, emphasised that passenger safety is the airline's top priority.
