5 unsold players who could be captaincy options for the bottom 4 IPL teams

The qualification scenario for this year's IPL playoffs was an intriguing affair as the top-4 were decided after the very last match of the league stage as Kings XI Punjab failed to beat the Chennai Super Kings and hence were knocked out of the IPL. It was a season of disappointment for the three-time champions Mumbai Indians as well, as they could not qualify for the playoffs.

The perennial underachievers, Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Delhi Daredevils continued to disappoint their fans and finished at 7th and 8th position, respectively. As the IPL is now over, we take a look at some of the unsold foreign players that could prove to be excellent captains for the bottom 4 teams of this year’s IPL.

#1 Joe Root

Joe Root is easily one of the world’s best batsmen. However, the England Test captain went unsold this year at the IPL auctions. Root has an average of 39 in the T20 internationals to go along with a strike rate of 130. He could prove to be the calming influence in any side, something that teams like Delhi and Punjab need in their middle order.

Root could prove to be an ideal choice for the Delhi Daredevils who did not have many choices in the middle order this year and who have an inexperienced leader in the form of Shreyas Iyer.

#2 Darren Sammy

Darren Sammy is a stalwart of T20s. He is the only captain to have won the World T20 twice. His ability to motivate the players and bring out the best in them makes him special. Sammy did a stellar job as captain of the Peshawar Zalmi this year in the PSL.

The West Indian was a part of Kings XI Punjab during the previous year but was not picked up by any of the teams this season. Although his bowling skills have faded a bit, he still has immense power to launch the ball over the fence. He could prove to be an ideal choice for the Kings XI Punjab, who do not have the firepower in their lower middle order.

#3 Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan has been around for quite a long time now. He has featured previously in the IPL for teams like the Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Kings XI Punjab. However, the England ODI and T20 captain went unsold this year. He was a part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad during their winning campaign of 2016. Hence, he is aware of what it takes to go all the way in IPL.

Morgan’s ability to play spin well makes him a standout performer. He possesses the sweeps and the reverse sweeps to negate the spin threat. His experience of captaining the England T20I team along with his explosive batting down the order could prove to be a deadly combo for the IPL squads.

#4 Hashim Amla

There is no doubting the fact that Hashim Amla is a class act. Hence, it was a bit strange to see him left out of the IPL bandwagon this year, especially considering the fact that he had a successful campaign in 2017 for the Kings XI Punjab. He amassed 420 runs from the 10 matches that he played last year, which also included two centuries.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore have struggled to find a solid opening batsman and Amla could be the missing chink that the Bangalore side so desperately need. Not only does he bring with him a wealth of international experience but he also possesses a calm head, which could help the team in pressure situations. It would also free up Virat Kohli and would let him focus on his game.

#5 Angelo Mathews

Angelo Mathews has struggled for consistency in the recent past. He has been bothered by a hamstring injury for a long time now. But the maverick Sri Lankan all-rounder seems to have recovered from the injury and could prove to be an asset for any IPL team. The fact that he is able to swing the ball at the top and also provide some lusty blows in the death overs makes him special.

He also has a wealth of IPL experience, having played for the Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders in the past. He has also captained Sri Lanka for a number of years and was a part of the World T20 winning team of 2014.