.After the IPL super auction, the spotlight now switches to prospective captaincy candidates for the franchises that have yet to name a captain before the commencement of the cash-rich league’s 15th edition. The three teams that have yet to name their captains are Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Punjab Kings (PBKS).
MI (5), CSK (4), and KKR (2) have won the most IPL titles over the years, and their captains, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, and Gautam Gambhir, have played key roles in their success. All three captains have established a legacy that is difficult to duplicate or even come close to.
With clubs taking their own time announcing their captaincy choices, IANS looks at a few captaincy prospects from RCB, KKR, and PBKS.
Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell are two possible possibilities to succeed Virat Kohli as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain in IPL 2022, according to the Bengaluru-based club. Kohli, who led the RCB from 2013 to 2021, resigned as captain at the end of the previous season. Kohli was retained by RCB for Rs 15 crore, although the team did not name their captain before the major auction.
— Faf du Plessis: RCB paid Rs 7 crore for the South African batter in Bengaluru’s blockbuster auction. They beat out Chennai Super Kings in a bidding war to acquire du Plessis from a list of ten marquee players.
Du Plessis has been one of the most consistent players in the IPL thus far, having played with CSK until last season. He was in outstanding form for CSK during their successful IPL 2021 campaign, amassing 633 runs in 16 games.
During his career as a campaigner, the veteran campaigner also led South Africa to victory, so he already has a good understanding of how to lead a team.
— Glenn Maxwell: The star batsman scored 513 runs at 42.75 with six half-centuries during RCB’s IPL 2021 run. In previous year’s edition, he was RCB’s leading run scorer. As a result, the Australian all-rounder was one of the franchise’s three keepers.
Maxwell, who has captained the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, is also a lock for a spot in the starting XI, so he is an obvious pick for skipper. However, the Australian cricketer is due to marry his Indian-origin wife Vini Raman in late March, and will most likely miss the start of the IPL 2022 season. As a result, Maxwell’s appointment as RCB captain could be hampered.
— Dinesh Karthik: Karthik, who has previously led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL, is another option for RCB. The wicketkeeper-batsman has captained Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket and is frequently seen coaching young cricketers from his own state. However, it will be intriguing to see if Karthik wants to captain an IPL team at this juncture in his career or if he prefers to play without the responsibility.
So, out of the three, Faf du Plessis appears to be the favourite to be the next RCB captain, and many cricket analysts and pundits agree.
Kolkata Knight Riders is a cricket team based in India (KKR)
Shreyas Iyer, Pat Cummins, and Ajinkya Rahane are among the candidates to succeed Eoin Morgan as KKR captain in IPL 2022, according to the Kolkata-based club.
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Shreyas Iyer (Shreyas Iyer): In the blockbuster auction, the two-time champions KKR purchased the elegant batter for Rs 12.25 crore. The 27-year-old sparked a bidding war between DC and the KKR franchise, with the latter coming out on top in the auction.
Given Kolkata’s hefty auction offer for Iyer, he appears to be a front-runner to captain the franchise in the 2018 IPL season.
In the 2020 season, Iyer led the Delhi franchise to the final. However, due to injury, he was ruled out of the first phase of the IPL 2021 and was replaced as captain by Rishabh Pant. According to reports, Iyer wanted to return to DC, but the franchise insisted on maintaining Pant as captain, therefore the two sides peacefully parted ways.
–Pat Cummins: In Australia, KKR have another alternative. Pat Cummins, the Australian Test captain under whom the Aussies thrashed England in this year’s Ashes series. However, given that Australia is playing a series in Pakistan till the first week of April, his availability in the initial phase of IPL 2022 is in doubt.
In Test and ODI cricket, Cummins is undeniably a match-winner, but he still has a lot to show in the T20 format. So, in any KKR match where teams desire to play an extra-spinning option, the Australia pacer will not be a sure-shot starter.
–Ajinkya Rahane: Rahane has previously led the Rajasthan team and is a strong contender, but his recent form in international cricket makes his case weaker. The veteran batter played for Delhi in the previous IPL season, but he didn’t appear in many games, and the same can be said for his role with KKR.
So, among the three, Shreyas Iyer appears to be the front-runner to become the next KKR captain.
Punjab Kings are a team from Punjab, India (PBKS)
Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal are two possible possibilities to follow KL Rahul as PBKS captain in IPL 2022, according to the Punjab-based club. After Rahul reportedly urged the franchise to release him last year, the captaincy post in the Punjab side was left vacant, and he was picked by the Lucknow Super Giants.
–Shikhar Dhawan: The opening batter has been a standout performer for the Delhi Capitals in recent seasons, batting alongside Prithvi Shaw at the top. However, he was released by Delhi prior to the IPL auction, and Punjab purchased him for Rs 8.25 crore at the IPL 2022 mega auction last weekend in Bengaluru.
He is unquestionably a front-runner to become the next Punjab captain, given his experience and outstanding batting performances in the last several IPL seasons. It will be intriguing to see how the franchise and Dhawan feel about the captaincy job.
–Mayank Agarwal: The opener was one of two players retained by the franchise prior to the super auction, and most pundits believed he might lead Punjab in the IPL. However, his future as a captain of the Punjab team is currently unknown.
Agarwal is an attacking batsman, so it will be intriguing to watch how he handles captaincy if he is given the opportunity.
Unlike Test and ODI cricket, which allow adequate time to correct errors, T20I cricket is played at a breakneck pace, with the dynamics changing with each ball. In a high-pressure event like the IPL, the captain’s job as the decision maker on the field becomes even more crucial.