Indian Premier League has come a long way since its inception in 2008. That day is still afresh when Brendon Mc Cullum hammered a wondrous 158 to inflict a tormenting ignominy on the Royal Challengers. A lot of things have changed since then, mere pushovers have kissed unfathomable heights, Gods have fallen, new Gods have been made, wars have been waged, rebellions have been fought and the world is getting better in dealing with an alien pandemic. Similarly, the League has become a primary cricketing festival in the history of Indian domestic cricket.
The initial setups that started in 2009 were mainly with captains from the past who had incredible cricketing records next to their names, but T-20 cricket was fairly a new dimension to them and they weren’t prepared for the same. They did try their best to put up a decent showdown but this new edition of cricket was highly demanding and extremely cruel to the creaking bones of the glorious past.
We will look at those eight captains who started the journey for their respective franchise in IPL and shortly joined the ranks of history.
1. V.V.S Laxman – Deccan Chargers
One of the most phenomenal test players was brought on as the captain of the Hyderabad franchise but Laxman couldn’t really lead the way from the front.
Notching up a meagre two victories from the 14 games, Chargers were pinned to the rock bottom of the league.
It would have been unjust of the fans to indict him of incompetency after what he has done for India. His IPL career shortly came crashing down after he bade adieu to T-20 in the colours of Kochi Tuskers in 2011.
He is currently a cricket commentator and an analyst, whose sermons are still hailed to be one of the bests of the sport.
2. Saurav Ganguly – Kolkata Knightriders
Despite being one of the greatest captains of India, he failed to strike the right chord in IPL. Winning their first two matches, KKR completely lost their track in the middle of the competition and struggled badly. Despite showing signs of resurgence in the middle, it simply wasn’t enough for the Kolkata brigade to make it to the last four.
They ended their campaign in the 6th position.
Ganguly is currently the BCCI president and is ambitious of taking Indian cricket to u unprecedented heights as he did as an Indian captain.
3. Sachin Tendulkar – Mumbai Indians
Like Saurav Ganguly, India’s little master was roped in by his own city to spearhead their force in IPL. After suffering four consecutive defeats in their first four matches, the Indians staged a dramatic turnaround of events to make the race to the top four very fascinating. Haplessly, they lost the fourth position by a solitary point to Delhi Daredevils.
Tendulkar’s initial season was cut short due to injuries but he still managed to post 188 runs from 7 matches.
He currently is indulged in his own business which spans across the nation and he is also a cricket commentator and an analyst, indulging in notable charity events.
4. Shane Warne – Rajasthan Royals
A significant blast from the glorious past, Shane Warne won the Indian Premier League in its maiden apparition.
Leading the team from the front, Warne managed to claim 19 wickets from 15 games, which was just 3 adrift of the Purple Cap holder, Sohail Tanvir.
He went on to play for three more seasons before he realised that his body won’t vouchsafe anymore to the gruelling needs of this new brand of cricket.
He is currently a cricket commentator and an analyst.
5. Rahul Dravid – Royal Challengers Bangalore
For the Wall of India, who was renowned for playing sublime knocks under the most difficult circumstances, T-20 cricket seemed like blasphemy.
However, professionals never complain and someone of Dravid’s stature showcased extreme sportsmanship to endure whatever his fate had in store.
Challengers could only manage to seal four victories out of the fourteen games that they played in 2008 and they finished in the 7th position.
Haplessly for Dravid, he was banished from the pedestal of captaincy and India’s silent warrior embraced his destiny.
He is currently a commentator and an analyst of the sport, who also coaches the Indian youth.
6. Virender Sehwag – Delhi Daredevils
Probably the best of the lot who was already bound to this latest mould of cricket, Sehwag captained Delhi to the top four of the League.
Playing an intrinsic part of the team’s attacking aspirations, Sehwag was not someone to sit back and relax. He was always sniffing blood and played a crucial role in defying Mumbai Indians a top-four finish.
He currently is one of India’s funniest cricket commentators and has been indulged lately in some Twitter wars.
He also runs a school which has been named after him, known to Delhites as Sehwag International School.
7. Yuvraj Singh – Kings XI Punjab
Leading a dominant side in the opening edition of the tournament, Singh played valuable knocks in the ranks of Punjab.
Known as a prolific hitter of the ball and one of the most charismatic captains of the edition, Yuvi went on to play IPL for a considerable period of time. Punjab finished third in the maiden edition of the fray.
He currently endorses several premium brands and also comes down the screen as a commentator on rare occasions.
8. Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Chennai Super Kings
The solitary difference between Captain Dhoni in the first edition and the thirteenth edition of the tournament is the matter of an empire. In 2008, Dhoni was just laying down the foundation for an empire while in 2020, he stands as one of the proudest kings of this empire.
Being in the sport still, he hasn’t disappeared from the sport and continues to be the man who leads from the front and finishes it all as a true warrior.
