IPL 2020: Ahead of the biggest cricketing bonanza on Indian shores, which is the Indian Premier League (IPL) a lot of factors determine the fortunes in this fast-paced cricket format where one bad call may cost you the game.; Therefore captaincy is one of the prime aspects of this shortest and exciting format of cricket.
we have seen tables turn with good captaincy and teams have gone down to achieve great things under a sound and astute leader in their ranks. We at The Cricket Lounge will take a look at the 8 captains of IPL 2020 and rate them out of 10.
Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (9)
Renowned as the daddy army by the netizens and cricket fans, CSK have done well despite picking up players way beyond their prime. Dhoni values the experience that the players bring to this team and with him being the captain he is there is hardly anyone better at the moment when it comes to leadership in the IPL. There will be no questions about his glovework as well and the way he guides his bowlers from behind the stumps, make necessary fielding changes and make unorthodox arrangements to get a batsman run-out makes Mahi one of the best ever captains in world cricket as a whole and he gets a solid 9 out of 10 as under the man from Ranchi CSK have reached the playoffs in each and every season till now having won the coveted title three times and ending in a runners up spot for a staggering five times. CSK fans would be hoping for a similar result in IPL 2020.
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (9)
The reigning champions will return to another season with their team beefed up on all departments and Rohit Sharma will have another opportunity to showcase his abilities as a leader. The Indian vice-captain has this quality of keeping the side well-knitted and the chemistry going. This helps in the long run as Sharma is often seen changing his batting position to accompany other players. He has developed a strong understanding of the game and understands what his fellow cricketers want from him as a leader. The four titles are proof that he is a matured captain and he gets 9/10 as once again Sharma will be expected to lead the strong side at his disposal and finish strongly in IPL 2020.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Williamson (8)
Next up will be the gentleman of world cricket, Kane Williamson who will be eager to lead the Sunrisers to glory in IPL 13. Williamson is known for the poise and elegance he brings not only with his willow also with his captaincy. He is a great tactician and reads the game pretty well. The New Zeland captain has also shown maturity in the past and kept himself out of the starting eleven when his personal form with the bat wasn’t at best. So he is a true team man and this season he has a great team at his disposal and will hope to bring smiles on the faces of Hyderabadi cricket fans in IPL 2020. Williamson gets a solid 8/10 for the selfless leader he has been for the Kiwis and also in franchise cricket.
Delhi Capitals: Shreyas Iyer (7.5)
The young Indian middle-order batsman was made captain for the first time and he did a great job under the tutelage of experienced coach and mentor in Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly. Iyer was calm with his approach and took good decisions with some of his bowling and fielding changes. The Delhi Capitals qualified for the playoffs last time out and this season with a strong Indian batting unit present Iyer will get enough help and advice form the senior lads and will hope to continue this good run of form as a leader in IPL 2020. He gets a 7.5 leaving room for improvement and replicating past plaudits will definitely take his case higher next season.
Rajasthan Royals: Steve Smith (7.5)
The cricket fans all across the globe are so excited to see Steve Smith back as a leader of the Royals for this upcoming IPL season. With the experienced customer, Ajinkya Rahane gone Smith has work to do with a young but talented team at his disposal. Considering his shrewd tactics and leading from the front attitude the Aussie will look to inspire the younger players in the camp by scoring runs and setting an example. He is known for his leadership and gets a solid 7.5 mainly owing to the hiatus as stakes will raise if he can take the Royals deep in IPL 2020.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (6.5)
The run machine of the IPL, Virat Kohli is known for his exceptional abilities with his willow and also his enigmatic personality as a leader of the Men in Blue. However, when it comes down to IPl Kohli has struggled at times with his wayward decisions leading to the downfall of his franchise. He has taken rash decisions regarding bowling changes, team selection, and various other aspects which have left RCB with no glory till now in the IPL. Yes, he compensates everything with his bat and does that consistently but his past record speaks about his questionable calls and hence an average 6.5 only to prove his doubters wrong in IPL 2020.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Dinesh Karthik (6)
It is hard to understand why Karthik will captain KKR in IPL 2020, especially after bagging Eoin Morgan who has led the Three Lions to World Cup triumph. Karthik has shown nerves last season with the Knights failing to reach the playoffs even after a strong start. He was out of ideas in pressure situations, not sure with his team combination and even faltered with the batting numbers of many in-form batsmen. There were a lot of question marks over him being the captain and therefore he gets 6 with a lot of room for improvement and hopefully he can guide this exciting bunch of players to glory in IPL 2020.
Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul (6.5)
With Ravichandran Ashwin off to Delhi Capitals, KL Rahul was announced as the new captain for the Punjabi outfit. It will be a new thing for the Karnataka batsman but considering his experience with the Indian team under top leaders like Kohli, Rohit and even Dhoni, the 27-year old should do fine this season. He has been in red hot form with the bat recently and has also taken up the gloves and done it with aplomb for the Men in Blue. So the Kings will hope that Rahul will replicate his form with the bat and also guiding bowlers behind the stumps and with the strong side present, Rahul gets a 6.5 considering his debut season as a captain with a lot to prove.
