The IPL Summer Showdown is set to begin on March 31st. This time, many teams are entering the field with new captains. But who are the captains with the power to win the trophy? Let’s take a look at their past achievements.
Markram – SRH
This time, the Orange Army has chosen Markram as its captain. In 2016, David Warner brought the trophy to Sunrisers Hyderabad as captain. In 2018, Kane Williamson led the team to the finals. However, the team has let go of Kane this time and entrusted the responsibility to Markram. Markram has been in great form lately. He has also captained the South African team. He won the trophy for the Sunrisers in the SA20 league as well. The Sunrisers’ team also looks strong this time. However, due to the South Africa ODI series, Markram may miss some matches, and it remains to be seen how this will affect the team.
Nitish Rana – KKR
Due to Shreyas Iyer’s injury and absence from the IPL, KKR has surprisingly chosen Nitish Rana as its captain. Nitish Rana has experience captaining the Delhi team in domestic cricket. It remains to be seen how he will coordinate with international players and lead the team in a few days.
David Warner – DC
With their regular captain Rishabh Pant out, Delhi has handed over the captaincy to David Warner this season. Warner already has the experience of winning the trophy for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has 35 victories in 69 matches to his name. It remains to be seen whether he can bring the trophy to the Delhi team as well.
Rohit – MI
There’s no need to talk about Rohit’s captaincy. Rohit Sharma is a successful captain in the IPL. He has led the Mumbai team since 2013 and has won 5 titles. Rohit Sharma captained the team in 143 matches and won 79 of them. The Mumbai team also looks strong. There have been many instances where even players who were not in the form before the tournament performed remarkably for Mumbai. Mumbai is always among the title favorites.
MS Dhoni – Chennai
Another successful captain in the IPL is Dhoni. Last year, he thought of giving up the Chennai captaincy… but had to take up the responsibility again due to Jadeja’s unavailability. He has been leading Chennai since 2008. Dhoni captained in 210 matches and won 123 of them. He has won 4 titles. Although the team doesn’t seem very strong this time, Dhoni is known for his magical captaincy.
Du Plessis – RCB
Last season, Bangalore appointed Du Plessis as their captain. He won 9 out of 16 matches last year and took the team to the playoffs. However, RCB is known for its bad luck in the IPL. Despite reaching the finals 3 times, they have never won the trophy. It remains to be seen whether Du Plessis will change their fate this time. Du Plessis is known for his strategies, player coordination, and fostering a culture of camaraderie in the team.
Hardik Pandya – GT
The Gujarat Titans, who debuted last year, won the trophy in their first season. Hardik Pandya is the captain. There seems to be something special about Hardik Pandya’s ability to achieve victories. Last season, Gujarat won even the matches that seemed lost. Somehow, one of the players stepped up and clinched the match. This time, Gujarat is one of the title favorites. Last year, Gujarat played 15 matches, and in 11 of those, Hardik Pandya led the team to victory.”
KL Rahul – LSG
Another new team that emerged last season is the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). KL Rahul, who previously captained the Punjab Kings, has now taken over as LSG’s captain. Unfortunately, luck didn’t favor him during his time at Punjab Kings, as they lost many matches they could have easily won under his leadership. So far, Rahul has captained in 42 matches, winning at least 20 of them, including Super Over matches. Last year, he led the Lucknow team to the playoffs. This time, the team is determined to win the trophy at any cost.
Sanju Samson – RR
Sanju Samson has been leading the Rajasthan Royals since 2021. Last year, he managed to take the team to the playoffs. Rajasthan finished in second place on the points table, with Jos Buttler playing a crucial role. As captain, Sanju Samson has so far registered 15 victories in 31 matches. It remains to be seen how well he can lead RR this time.
Shikhar Dhawan – PBKS
The Punjab Kings have also chosen a new captain for their team this season. They have selected senior Team India player Shikhar Dhawan. As a batsman, Dhawan has been successful in the IPL. He has captained in only 10 matches so far (in 2014 for Sunrisers Hyderabad), winning just 4 of them. However, Dhawan has led India to victory several times in international cricket. It will be interesting to see how far he can take Punjab Kings on the path to victory this time.
