IPL: Top 5 players who never captained an IPL side

A captain is not always the best player on a team, but he is a great tactician who understands his players and leads by example. He understands the complexities of the game and has the ability to make quick decisions on and off the field. Captaincy is not an easy job. It requires complete focus and a captain has to always stay one step ahead of the game.

Over the years, we have seen some great players who were at par with the best in their teams but never got a chance to captain their sides. With the IPL around the corner, let us have a look at some of the league’s most celebrated players who never got a chance to captain their respective sides.

#5 Chris Gayle

The Universe Boss Christopher Henry Gayle has made the IPL his own. He started his IPL journey with Kolkata Knight Riders but his fortunes changed when RCB welcomed him in the 2011 season.

He won the Orange Cap that year, amassing 608 runs at an incredible strike rate of 183.13 and an average of 67.55. Gayle has won the most number of “Man of the Match” awards in IPL history. There is no doubting the fact that Gayle is indeed among the best players to have graced the IPL but captaincy might not align itself with Gayle’s fun-loving and free-flowing personality.

Still, it would have been exciting to see what brand of captaincy he would have adopted.

#4 Jacques Kallis

One of the best all-rounders that world cricket has ever seen, Jacques Kallis has been a huge inspiration for the players around the globe, especially for the ones that played in the IPL alongside him.

Kallis hung up his boots in the 2014 season, ending his stint with Kolkata Knight Riders. Having taken 65 wickets and scored 2427 runs in 98 IPL matches, Kallis was one of the best all-rounders in the IPL. He played under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly, Brendon McCullum and Gautam Gambhir, but never got a chance to lead the side himself.

Currently, he is the head coach of the KKR side and is performing his job of nurturing young talents.

#3 Lasith Malinga

The leading wicket-taker in the history of the Indian Premier League, Lasith Malinga has been an absolute IPL legend. He won the purple cap in the 2011 IPL where he scalped 28 wickets in 16 matches at an astounding average of 13.39 and an economy rate of 5.95.

With legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting in the team, and with the emergence of a young captain in Rohit Sharma, Malinga always remained out of favour when it came to captaincy. It would have been refreshing to see him utilise his skills as a captain.

#2 Michael Hussey

Michael Hussey was a part of the Indian Premier League for 5 years. The classy left-hander played for one of the most successful sides in IPL history i.e. Chennai Super Kings. Opening the batting for them, Hussey won the Orange Cap in the 2013 IPL.

With MS Dhoni the obvious candidate to lead the side and Suresh Raina serving as his back up, Hussey never got a chance to show what he was capable of as a captain. Hussey, as a player, is respected by all. It would have been really interesting to see how the experienced batsman would have led the side.

Currently appointed as the batting coach for CSK, his inputs would be of great importance to the captain and the team.

#1 AB de Villiers

Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is one of the IPL’s most celebrated players. AB has been a part of the IPL for all 10 seasons and has played for 2 teams; Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore. He has played under 4 captains, namely Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Daniel Vettori and Virat Kohli.

AB has captained South Africa in the international arena without too much success. It might seem a bit surprising that a top player like de Villiers, who has a wonderful connection with Indian fans, hasn’t got the opportunity to captain the side, but with Kohli in the team, he will always remain the second choice.