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Two cliches are often used when it comes to leaders in cricket, be it the Indian Premier League (IPL) or any other international or domestic tournament. One is that ‘a captain is only as good as his team’ and the second being that the 'captain needs to lead from the front’.
In a T20 tournament like the IPL, a skipper has a greater chance of making an impact single-handedly considering the short duration of the format. A spectacular cameo or two to three quick wickets can often be enough to swing the momentum of the match.
If we look at performances by captains in IPL 2022, the Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) KL Rahul has stood out. He ended the league stage with 537 runs, which included two hundreds and three half-centuries. Faf du Plessis (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders) have played a few good knocks. Ditto with Hardik Pandya (Gujarat Titans). Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals) has contributed a number of cameos but no one else has really made an extraordinary impact.
Underperforming leaders of IPL 2022
Quite a few captains have had disappointing campaigns on an individual level. Let’s take a look at five skippers who have failed to lead from the front in IPL 2022.
#1 Kane Williamson (SRH)
There were high hopes when Kane Williamson took over as the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) leader midway through last season and was retained as captain ahead of IPL 2022. However, Williamson has had a disastrous season with the bat to say the least.
In 13 matches, he has scored 216 runs at an average of 19.64. What has left everyone in disbelief has been his strike rate, a highly unacceptable 93.51. Williamson proved to be a liability for SRH at the top of the order and by the time he decided to move into the middle order for the franchise’s previous game, it was too late.
There is no doubt that the New Zealand skipper is a class act. Even saying that his performances in IPL 2022 have been way below par would be an understatement. He has had such a bad season. Williamson left the bio-bubble for the birth of his child. It seems highly unlikely that the Hyderabad franchise will retain him next season.
#2 Mayank Agarwal (PBKS)
Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Mayank Agarwal won a lot of praise for sacrificing his opening slot and allowing Jonny Bairstow to partner Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the innings.
It is a praiseworthy move without a doubt, but one cannot paper over the fact that he has had a miserable run with the bat. And considering how crucial he has been to PBKS’ fortunes over the last couple of seasons, Agarwal’s failures have hit the franchise very hard.
In 12 matches, he has managed to score only 195 runs at an average of 17.73 and a strike rate of 125 with a solitary fifty. Compare this to his performances in the previous two seasons and you will see a stark difference.
Agarwal scored 441 runs in 12 matches in IPL 2021 at a strike rate of 140.44 and 424 runs in 11 games in IPL 2020 at a strike rate of 156.45. The numbers convey the sad tale of how indifferent Agarwal has been with the willow this season.
#3 Rishabh Pant (DC)
Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant has been one of the biggest disappointments of IPL 2022. Being the leader of the ship and also one of the star performers in the squad, fans and critics had high hopes from him.
But the left-handed dasher has let his IPL team down. His batting has been a case of all or nothing and he has been dismissed after getting a quick start on too many occasions for the team’s liking.
In 13 matches, Pant has scored 301 runs at an average of 30.10. He has maintained an impressive strike rate of 157.59 but has not registered a single half-century so far. Pant’s highest score has been 44, which is too low for a middle order batter even in T20 cricket.
Given that Delhi have lost early wickets a number of times, Pant has had the opportunity to score big but has failed to grab his chances.
Click here to find out which is the next match in the IPL schedule 2022.
#4 Rohit Sharma (MI)
Apart from clinching five titles, Mumbai Indians (MI) have had a couple of poor IPL seasons under Rohit Sharma. But this is one edition the captain would like to delete from his memory.
Right from the mega auction, almost everything Mumbai have done this season has resulted in a disaster. As a result, they became the first team to be eliminated from IPL 2022.
On an individual level as well, Rohit has failed as a batter. After 13 matches, he doesn’t have a single half-century to show for his efforts with the willow. This stat is a strong indication of how severe the struggle has been for the otherwise serene Rohit.
He has so far scored 266 runs at an average of 20.46 and a strike rate of 126.67. In a weakened squad, Rohit’s failures have only made matters worse for MI.
#5 Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)
Senior Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja had a bizarre IPL 2022. He began the season with high hopes, having been named as the new captain in place of MS Dhoni. He ended it not knowing whether he would return to the franchise, quitting the bio-bubble amid rumors of an alleged rift with the Chennai management (a rib injury was given as the official reason for Jadeja’s exit).
It was evidently clear even to the layman that Jadeja was struggling with the additional responsibility of leading the side. It showed in the way he batted, bowled and fielded. The 33-year-old played 10 matches in which he scored 116 runs at an average of 19.33 and a strike rate of 118.37.
With his left-arm spin, he claimed five wickets at an average of just under 50. Arguably the best all-round fielder India has produced, Jadeja also dropped a few catches, sitters by his standards.
After he led CSK to two wins in eight games, the franchise announced that Jadeja had decided to hand back the captaincy to Dhoni. Not long after, he left the bio-bubble. We haven’t heard the last of this yet.
