5 players released ahead of IPL Auction 2022 who will make for great captaincy options

#3 Will KL Rahul lead Lucknow in IPL 2022?

Former PBKS captain KL Rahul. Pic: IPLT20.COM

As leader of Punjab Kings (PBKS), KL Rahul finished as the team’s leading run-scorer in the last two IPL editions. He won the Orange Cap for hammering 670 runs in IPL 2020 at a strike rate of 129.34 and smashed 626 runs in IPL 2021 while maintaining a strike rate of 138.80.

While Rahul was brilliant with the bat, PBKS as a franchise were abysmal as they failed to qualify for the playoffs in both seasons. It had more to do with the team being heavily dependent on skipper Rahul and his opening partner Mayank Agarwal. Apart from the two, PBKS hardly saw any significant contributions with the bat.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Rahul couldn’t give his best as leader since he didn’t have a proper squad in place. Often, PBKS looked disjointed as an outfit out in the middle.

Despite his apparent failure as captain of the Punjab franchise, reports indicate that he is all set to lead one of the new IPL franchises in Lucknow. Rahul has reportedly been offered a record amount for the same.

He may not have won a lot as IPL captain, but Rahul is viewed as a composed character, who can be a calming influence on the team. As for his batting, he doesn’t have much left to prove.

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#4 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin led PBKS for a couple of seasons. (Pic: IPLT20.COM)

Seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin led PBKS for two years in the IPL before being transferred to DC ahead of the IPL 2020 season. Under Ashwin, Punjab finished seventh in the 2018 edition and sixth in 2019. Not great stats, but like his successor Rahul, Ashwin was also perhaps leading the wrong side.

The 35-year-old cricketer is viewed as someone who has a very smart cricketing brain and reads the game very well. In fact, quite a few critics believe that Ashwin would make a good Test vice-captain, especially right now as Ajinkya Rahane battles his demons with the bat.

There is a decent chance of one of the franchises not only picking Ashwin but also naming him as leader. The spinner, who recently surpassed Harbhajan Singh’s tally of Test wickets, has been underutilized as a leader. Will that change in the upcoming IPL seasons?

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#5 Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes representing RR in the IPL. (Pic: IPLT20.COM)

England’s prolific all-rounder Ben Stokes may have been in the news for his battle with mental health in recent times. Stokes is a combative character, who has often lifted himself out of tough times with incredible resilience.

His fighting quality was on display as he recovered from the hammering he took at the hands of Carlos Brathwaite in the 2016 T20 World Cup final. Stokes went on to play a stellar role in England’s 2019 50-over World Cup-winning campaign.

Even in the home series against Pakistan earlier this year, Stokes demonstrated immense composure as he inspired a second-string outfit to victory over Pakistan in the ODIs. It was the toughest of circumstances for Stokes. He was on recovery mode, having hurt his finger during the first half of IPL 2021 in India.

Further, the entire England squad (originally announced) was sent into isolation, after COVID hit the camp. With a team full of uncapped players, Stokes led England’s 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan.

The 30-year-old has unarguably turned them into the best all-rounder in cricket across formats over the last few years. He is a talismanic character, who can inspire and get inspired as well. Stokes would definitely be a good choice to lead an IPL franchise.