The Champions Trophy provides one with the opportunity to watch the best players being captained by some of the legends of the game. It is also a chance for some cricket fans to reminisce and see how far these captains have come in the game.
Here are the 8 captains and their journey through the years:
AB De Villiers
When De Villiers made his debut, he was still a raw batsman who could keep well and be a decent fielder. However, he was inconsistent with the bat but that was just the lull before the storm. The South African Board decided to stick by him as they believed in his talent and he repaid their faith doubly. In the second half of his career, De Villiers became one of the most feared batsmen in the world. He earned the nickname, “Mr.360” and holds the record for the fastest century in ODI cricket. An absolute beast to say the least.
Virat Kohli
The one everyone has their eyes on. Virat Kohli has come a long way from the brash, aggressive batsman he was. He is still aggressive, but has matured a lot. When he first arrived, he was the captain of the Under-19 squad that won the World Cup in 2008. From there, he got his first start for the national team and has not looked back. Today, he is regarded as the best batsman in the world and is a role model for the youth all over India.
Angelo Mathews
A player who managed to find a niche despite the likes of Jayasuriya, Sangakkara and Jayawardene ruling, Mathews is the captain of Sri Lanka today. Though he has been hampered by injuries, he is still regarded as a good all-rounder and fielder as well as batsman. He led the squad to the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup and was part of the team that won the 2014 T20 World Cup.
Steve Smith
The surprising part about Steve Smith is the fact that he started off as a spin bowler. Today, he is one of the most unconventionally successful batsmen in the world. The captain of Australia had to wait until the 2014 Ashes to show his true worth and since then, he has shown his class and scored multiple centuries across all formats.
Eoin Morgan
Morgan started off as an Irish player, representing the country in the2004 and 2006 editions of the U-19 World Cup. Since then, he moved to England and has been recognized as one of the biggest hitters in World cricket.
Sarfaraz Ahmed
The Pakistani captain rose to fame after leading his side to a victory over India in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup. However, he had to fight for a place against the duo of Kamran and Umar. Today, he leads a young Pakistan side.
Mashrafe Mortaza
The Bangladeshi captain enters his 16th year of professional cricket and is a real stalwart for Bangladesh. Despite injuries and a drastic loss of pace, Mortaza can still be a good player on his day and captains his side well.
Kane Williamson
One of the best batsman in the world today, Williamson has already shown his class this Champions Trophy with a 100 and an 87 in his first two games. He made his debut in 2010 and has risen every year since then.
