IPL 2018: 5 potential captain picks

Calm and composed Ajinkya Rahane could potentially make a great IPL captain
Calm and composed Ajinkya Rahane could potentially make a great IPL captain

Having the right leader has proven to be essential in the Indian Premier League. M.S. Dhoni for the Chennai Super Kings, Rohit Sharma for the Mumbai Indians and Gautam Gambhir for the Kolkata Knight Riders have shown how the right form of captaincy can go a long way. Even though it is yet to be officially announced, it is more or less obvious that five out of the eight teams have retained their leader already.

Mumbai Indians - Rohit Sharma

Royal Challengers Bangalore - Virat Kohli

Chennai Super Kings - M.S. Dhoni

Sunrisers Hyderabad - David Warner

Rajasthan Royals - Steve Smith

This leaves the Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils without captains. They will be looking to come out of the auction with a solid leader in their ranks. Here are five players who have captaincy material imbibed in them:


#5 Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane was widely regarded as a player for the longer formats and wasn't given too many chances in his 3-year stint with the Mumbai Indians. After a disappointing debut season for his new franchise, the Rajasthan Royals, Rahane came to life when he was made to open in the 2012 season, and he hasn't shied away since.

Rahane has received a lot of praise from his mentor Rahul Dravid for the manner in which he has grown as a player. Much like his mentor, Rahane has the favourable traits of being cool and collected on the field.

Owing to his maturity, he was conferred with the title of vice-captain of the Indian cricket team in Test cricket. He even led India to a win against Australia in one game of their four-match Test series. In the absence of Steve Smith, it was Rahane (and surprisingly not Dhoni) who led the Rising Pune Supergiant last season.

By his standards, IPL 2017 wasn't a good one for him with the bat. Moreover, he has been shunted in and out of the Indian team in recent times owing to a dip in form. Despite all this, Rajasthan's decision to not retain him was a surprising one. After all, he has time and again proven how consistent a batsman he is, and will more likely than not bounce back to form in the upcoming edition of the IPL.

With his maturity and vast experience, he would make a good leader. The captain-less teams will be looking to nab Rahane, but will naturally be well aware of the fact that the Royals are likely to use their right-to-match card on him.

#4 Yuvraj Singh

ICC Annual Awards Ceremony
Where is Yuvraj Singh going to end up this year?

Yuvraj Singh has achieved so much, both in the IPL and outside it. His six sixes, his stellar 2011 World Cup performance, his popularity in the IPL auctions... there's just so much about him. He is a household name in India for good reason.

Yuvraj was meritoriously chosen an icon player and captain of the Kings XI Punjab in the inaugural season. They had a good run that season as they ended semi-finalists after an impressive second-place finish in the points table. In the second season, the Kings XI Punjab failed to qualify for the semi-finals, albeit narrowly. The captaincy was then infamously transferred to Kumar Sangakkara in the third season.

In the 2011 season, Yuvraj was bought by the new team in the fold, the Pune Warriors, and was subsequently made their first ever captain. Yuvraj missed the 2012 season owing to medical conditions and failed to impress on his return in the 2013 season. Yuvraj has since played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Delhi Daredevils and the Sunrisers Hyderabad, in that order. He wasn't chosen the captain for any of these franchises.

The Sunrisers have unsurprisingly opted not to retain the southpaw this year. Having captained two separate franchises in three different seasons, he knows what it is to be an IPL captain. Yuvraj was India's ODI vice-captain for a reasonable period of time too. With his immense experience, Yuvraj could be eyed as a potential captain in the auctions. It wouldn't be surprising to see him lead the Kings XI Punjab next year, much like he did in season 1.

#3 Joe Root

England Media Access
Joe Root should ideally make his IPL debut this season

Joe Root is undoubtedly one of the best batsmen in the world right now. Stunningly, Root is yet to feature in the Indian Premier League.

He is the 2nd best Test batsman, 7th best ODI batsman and 9th best T20 batsman in the world as per the latest ICC rankings. He is a part-time off-spinner too, and is more than useful with the ball. Additionally, he has been the captain of the English Test team for almost a year now.

A player of his quality should find his way into any team. The teams without a captain could turn to Root for not only his captaining abilities but also his batting prowess.

#2 Harbhajan Singh

CLT20 2012 Match 18 - Sydney Sixers v Mumbai Indians
Could the Mumbai Indians legend finally make his way to his home side, the Kings XI Punjab?

Harbhajan Singh, lovingly called 'Bhajji', is undoubtedly one of India's greatest ever spinners. He has been one of the IPL's most popular names right from the inaugural season back in 2008 although the 'slapgate' incident took away some of his popularity. He has since been one of Mumbai Indians' most prolific players. His performances across 10 seasons have been priceless for the Mumbai Indians and he has been instrumental in all their title wins.

Despite questions arising regarding his ability prior to the start of every season, he has delivered consistently with the ball and has even thrown in some crucial knocks with the bat for good measure! He is not only the third-highest wicket-taker in the history of the IPL, but also holds the record for scoring the Mumbai Indians' second-fastest fifty!

Though it's been Rohit Sharma who has led the Mumbai Indians to three IPL titles, it was Harbhajan who led them to their first-ever title in the 2011 Champions League T20. Not only was he the captain, but was also awarded the Player of the Match laurel in the final. In Mumbai's second Champions League win, in 2013, he was again the Player of the Match in the final.

Besides Virat Kohli, Harbhajan has been the only player to have represented the same franchise for all 10 seasons. However, at 37, he doesn't find a place in Mumbai's team anymore. With his vast cricketing experience and IPL captaincy stints, he would make an excellent captain. The captain-less teams will certainly look at signing the veteran off-spinner and giving him the honor of being their captain. Will we see Bhajji fittingly lead the Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2018? Yes, we just might!

#1 Gautam Gambhir

CLT20 Kolkata Knight Riders v Nashua Titans
Will the Knight Riders opt to retain their greatest ever captain?

Kolkata Knight Riders splurged $2.4 million on Gambhir in 2011, and many critics claimed that it was money down the drain. They couldn't have been more wrong. Gambhir has not only been Kolkata's most consistent batsman, but has also captained the side to two IPL titles. He has managed to score at least 300 runs in every edition for the Knight Riders and is the IPL's fourth-highest run-scorer with 4132 runs.

However, relations between the Knight Riders camp and Gambhir don't look as rosy as they used to be. Whether he'll be right-to-matched by the Kolkata Knight Riders is something we'll have to wait and watch out for. We are likely to see his home team, the Delhi Daredevils, vying for his services. Whichever team end up with Gambhir in their squad would be lucky to have such a stellar captain!

Check RCB Squad 2024 Details. Follow Sportskeeda for IPL 2024 Live Score, Schedule, Points Table

Quick Links

Edited by Arvind Sriram