IPL History: Three superstars who never captained their side 

The Indian Premier League has been the most entertaining T20 league in the world. Starting in 2008, it has been a great platform to showcase young talents. Along with this, the fans are privileged enough to watch their favorite cricketer from across the globe. Not only has it been the most entertaining, but it is also the most attended cricket league in the world.

The league has completed 11th edition with its 12th edition going on right now. Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have won the IPL title thrice while Kolkata has won it on two occasions. Teams like RCB, KXIP have been unlucky to not have won the cup despite reaching the final.

The league has witnessed some of the best performances in the T20 history. Overall, the league has been a witness to nail-biting finishes and unexpected results. There have been players who have been the face of the league but never got to lead their respective franchise. Let us look at three superstars who never captained their side in IPL.

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#1 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle - Image Courtesy (BCCI/IPLT20.com)

The ‘Universe Boss’ has been one of the most entertaining players in the IPL. Having played in over 120 matches, he has scored close to 4,500 runs with six tons to his name. Barring the initial seasons, Chris Gayle has been an integral part of the league.

His journey with the KKR wasn’t that pleasing as he struggled to get runs under his belt. This affected his place as he went unsold in the 2011 auctions.

The tides turned in his favor as he was named as a replacement in the RCB squad. He had an incredible season amassing 608 runs in 12 matches taking the team to the final. His success continued with RCB until 2017 after which fresh auctions took place where he was sold to the Kings XI Punjab.

Along with this, he has also played his part with the ball occasionally. Despite being the back-bone of every team he has been a part of, he has never got an opportunity to captain the squad.

#2 AB de Villiers

AB De Villiers - Image Courtesy (BCCI/IPLT20.com)

You know it’s a batting carnival when the whole Chinnaswamy stadium chants ‘ABD’. You might be the best bowler in the world, but if he gets it in his arc, he makes you look ordinary. AB de Villiers showed us that along with power, you need a little bit of innovation to survive in this format. Having played for the then Delhi Daredevils for the first three seasons, he enjoyed limited success.

Things began to change when he started playing for RCB. From then on until now, he has been consistent for the team scoring over 300 runs in most of the seasons striking at over 140.

Along with his batting, we must not forget his fielding skills in the deep. He has the ability to single-handedly win games for the team. With close to 4,400 runs in the league, he has been unlucky to have not led the side in a single game.

#3 Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga - Image Courtesy (BCCI/IPLT20.com)

If death bowling was an art, then Lasith Malinga was a Picasso of it. He had the knack of providing important breakthroughs with a combination of middle-stump yorkers and slower deliveries. The opposition wouldn’t dare to celebrate until and unless Malinga’s quota was finished. He is one of those few players who has played for a single franchise in their career.

This veteran bowler is the highest wicket-taker in the history of IPL with 166 wickets at a jaw-dropping average of 19.61 and an economy of 7.07. He has played a vital role in the team winning three IPL titles and CLT20 in 2011.

Due to age and dip in form, he went unsold in the 2018 auctions. However, he was taken back to the team for the 2019 IPL. He has played under various captains but was unfortunate to not have led the side even in a single match.