IPL 2021: I think Eoin Morgan is the no.1 captain of the second phase – Sanjay Manjrekar

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar has rated Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan as the no.1 captain of the second phase of IPL 2021.

Morgan has not been in the best of forms with the bat however he has led from the front in the ongoing tournament.

KKR were down and out as they could only manage two wins in the first phase of the tourney in which they played seven matches. However, KKR have been able to turn the tables in the second phase of the tournament as they have won four out of the six matches they have played. In fact, the two matches which they have lost have also been close encounters and they were always in the contest till the final ball.

Meanwhile, Morgan is regarded as one of the best white-ball captains in the world and he has certainly got the best out of his players. The KKR skipper has given the freedom to his players to express themselves and they have been aggressive in their approach. Furthermore, young players like Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, and Rahul Tripathi have done a fine job at top of the order.

Moreover, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine have been brilliant for KKR with the ball and have kept a tight lid on the scoring rate, and have also provided crucial breakthroughs.

While speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar shared his views regarding the KKR skipper and said: “When you look at Morgan, it seems like he’s well settled in the side, hugely supported by the management. I think he’s been the No.1 captain during this second phase of the IPL. His captainship has been superb. So, because of his captaincy and personality, he’s been saved from getting dropped. His batting is becoming a problem for the side and, KKR will hope that he finds his form important matches.”

On the other hand, Manjrekar heaped praise on Prasidh Krishna who has impressed with his raw pace and accuracy. Manjrekar added that there is an X-factor in the fast bowler.

“I don’t think they need to add another spinner in the XI. Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine have been in terrific touch. Perhaps Prasidh Krishna can come in once again.

It sometimes seems that Prasidh Krishna has that X-Factor in him, despite his high economy rate. And I think Southee is that much of a reliable option. Shakib Al Hasan: I don’t think so, that he can add value to the side because they’ve already got two brilliant spinners.”

KKR won against SRH by six wickets on Sunday and they will most likely qualify for the playoffs if they win their next match against RR, which will be played at Sharjah on Thursday.