5 best captaincy battles to watch out for in IPL 2023

With the IPL Auction done and dusted in December 2022, all teams will be looking forward to the marquee event that will be held in the Indian summer. Over the years, the IPL has witnessed several great rivalries between teams and players which have only added to the intensity and spice of the competition.

Several of the world's top international captains such as Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting, M.S. Dhoni, Steve Smith, Kumar Sangakkara, and Virat Kohli have led franchises in this star-studded league.

The nature of this league has been so competitive that even some of the world's top captains have also failed to win the much-coveted trophy.

Captaincy is a skill that requires immense strategic prowess and the ability to gauge the opposition's strengths and weaknesses. Over the course of its 15-year old history, the world's richest T20 league has witnessed some of the best episodes of these battles of minds.

On that note, let’s explore five exciting captaincy battles we will get to witness in IPL 2023.

#1 M.S. Dhoni vs Rohit Sharma (Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians)

Rohit Sharma and M.S. Dhoni are the two most successful IPL captains.

Arguably one of India's greatest captains, M.S. Dhoni is widely speculated to play his last IPL season in 2023. If this is true, this might well be the final time we witness the battle between IPL's most successful captain Rohit Sharma and IPL's most consistent captain Dhoni.

Over the years, these two teams under their inspirational leaders have dominated the tournament, winning nine out of 15 (four for Chennai and five for Mumbai) IPL seasons. IPL 2023 might well present the final episode of this 'Clash of Titans'.

#2 M.S. Dhoni vs Faf Du Plessis (Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

The Southern Derby between arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has offered fans several nail-biting encounters in the past. This rivalry has been further spiced up after RCB signed up long-time CSK opener Faf Du Plessis as their captain last year.

Since taking charge last season, RCB and CSK have both won one game each. In the overall head-to-head between the two franchises, CSK has emerged victorious a whopping 20 times out of 31 games with one game being a no result. It would be exciting to see who emerges victorious in the battle between M.S. Dhoni and one of his most trusted former lieutenants.

#3 Hardik Pandya vs K.L. Rahul (Gujarat Titans vs Lucknow Super Giants)

Gujarat Titans (GT) versus Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) is not just a battle between two of the IPL's newest franchises but also two close friends - K.L. Rahul and Hardik Pandya.

The two teams had a great first season, as both franchises made it to the Playoffs with GT becoming only the second team to win the title in their debut season. The head-to-head record between the two franchises is 2 - 0 in favor of Gujarat.

#4 Shikhar Dhawan vs Rohit Sharma (Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians)

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have been one of India's most successful ODI opening pairs.

Newly-appointed Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan will square off against his long-time opening partner Rohit Sharma. The two have shared great camaraderie and have had several memorable partnerships over the years.

Shikhar Dhawan will enter this IPL season with a point to prove after being sacked from the Indian ODI team in the build-up to the 50-over World Cup. What better occasion to do so than against Indian captain Rohit Sharma against IPL's most successful franchise?

The head-to-head record between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians is a relatively close affair, with Mumbai Indians winning 15 matches out of 29 matches while Punjab Kings have won 14.

#5 Sanju Samson vs Hardik Pandya (Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans)

Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya led their teams to the final of the IPL 2022.

Last year's finalists Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans will lock horns yet again in IPL 2023. Sanju Samson will look to avenge his side's defeat last year in the IPL final while Hardik Pandya will be on a mission to defend the IPL title.

Sanju Samson will look to go one step further this time and in the turn kickstart his own Team India career after a successful IPL season. The two sides met thrice last season with Gujarat winning all three encounters. It seems almost necessary for Rajasthan to overcome Gujarat Titans if they are to win the long-elusive IPL trophy.

On that note, we would like to conclude our article on the 5 best captaincy battles to watch out for in IPL 2023. Can you think of any other such battles? Let us know in the comments below.