One-third of the IPL 2023 is done and dusted and the tournament has been a very exciting one so far with a number of last-over finishes and some of those matches being alive till the last ball as well.
The captains of most of the teams have performed well and are leading from the front. However, for a couple of captains, it seems that the leadership and captaincy duties are hindering them from theirs performing at their best.
Here are two skippers who might be getting under extra captaincy pressure in IPL 2023:
David Warner – Delhi Capitals
The Delhi Capitals are the only winless team in the tournament and are staring down at an early exit of being knocked out from the playoff race. They have lost all of their 5 matches so far in the Indian Premier League 2023.
David Warner, their captain in the absence of the injured Rishabh Pant, has been scoring runs but at a pedestrian rate. The left-handed opener has scored 228 runs in 5 innings but those have come at a lowly strike rate of 116. That strike rate is very unnatural for Warner, who is more accustomed to scoring quickly and asserting dominance. Perhaps in trying to lead from the front with the bat, Warner is shedding his own attacking instincts.
Nitish Rana – Kolkata Knight Riders
Rana is leading for the first time in the IPL as the skipper for KKR after Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the tournament. Generally known for his attacking gameplay and fearless stroke-making, Rana has, in this Indian Premier League 2023 season, however, been a bit less aggressive than usual.
He’s played one superb knock – 75 (41) on a flat track against SRH – and rest has been a bit inconsistent. Overall, he’s scored 150 runs in 5 innings at a decent strike rate of 147. One of KKR’s major problems this season has been the lack of firepower from the batting department apart from Rinku Singh. Nitish Rana would want to rectify that.
