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The world’s most famous T20 franchise-based league is clearly in the business end of the tournament. There’ve been clear ups and downs and with it, some very famous revelations or surprises as one would call them.
For instance, we’ve been quite stunned by the now-show or lack of a show by IPL stalwarts - Chennai and Mumbai. Yet, at the same time, it’s quite heartening to see the rise and rise of noted IPL newcomers in Lucknow and Gujarat, two teams that have made massive inroads in their very first edition of the nerve-wracking tournament.
But, you’d be treading like a novice if you were to say that it’s only the table toppers and big run makers or wicket clinchers who’ve left their mark; at the end of the day, implicit in how each team has fared has been the presence and performance of its captain.
And while some of the leaders have truly inspired and shown the way, often resulting in unbelievable results, there are quite a few who’d like to come back stronger having produced little or no show this time around.
That being said, we hereby rank the current IPL captains based on their own form given the skill they bring to their team and their leadership of the unit (in this particular order).
1. Kane Williamson, Sunrisers Hyderabad (7 losses from 13 games, recent form -1 win, 4 losses)
Clearly speaking, the most disappointing of all IPL captains, Kane Williamson has done a botched up job of leading one of the more enterprising outfits of the IPL in Hyderabad in this edition.
That he’s commanding a team that one feels always has its best days ahead of it tends to provide a buffer of hope but then, how long can hope suffice for a lack of performance?
To his credit, along with the team’s think-tank, Kane’s biggest contribution this year was to field, nearly always, the right combination of the playing eleven. But just remove the names like newfound Umran Malik and Rahul Tripathi from the unit and just what are you left with?
On most occasions where things just didn’t go his team’s way, the New Zealander wasn’t found holding intense talks amid the game or pressure situation, which is what most do. And being his cheery self, was simply left joining hands in a bid to encourage when little went his way.
Moreover, Williamson, usually sprightly with the bat in the game’s shortest format for national duties, has been an utter disaster in this IPL providing the Sunrisers only 216 runs, 13 outings. His average has been 19 - would you believe it?
2. Ravindra Jadeja, Chennai Super Kings (9 losses from 13 games, recent form- 2 wins, 3 losses)
Jadeja was made the captain right at the start of Chennai’s campaign (hence, the 2022 season) with the hope that he’d lead well from where a true icon of the sport had left: MS Dhoni.
That Dhoni himself ideated the ascension of Jadeja as CSK’s leader offered rich hope that a new beginning of sorts was to begin.
Alas, that wasn’t to be. They began by losing their first four games - and that too on the trot. The first win wouldn’t come until the contest against RCB, which was game 22 of the season.
Until such time, Jadeja managed lowly returns both as a bowler and batsman.
You could say had cricketers like Mukesh Choudhary and Shivam Dube not been self-inspired, since very little leadership mantra came their way, Chennai would’ve had an even more distressing campaign than they eventually experienced.
It wasn’t hard to see that Jadeja looked less of himself as a leader than what he does as a pure performer.
Later on, as Jadeja abdicated the captaincy, which wasn’t before scoring just 116 runs and claiming 5 wickets (10 games), it became clear which way his CSK captaincy was going. It was anything but smooth sailing.
In such time, before the injury put a premature end to his campaign, one saw a few dropped catches, which was, quite frankly a shocker.
Yet, despite all this, there’s a sense of gladness that the old guard in Dhoni is back at the leadership helm.
3. Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians (10 losses from 13 games, recent form - 3 wins and 2 losses)
There was a lot expected from Rohit Sharma but that didn’t happen. Perhaps it’s not incorrect to say that the weakening that Mumbai have turned out to be, this time around, is clearly the biggest shocker and low point of this IPL.
Coupled with the fact that the Hitman batted albeit minus any big hits in the first half of Mumbai’s campaign has had an adverse impact of the chances of the most successful IPL outfit.
And finally when he did take some control over his batting, such as the fluent knock last evening against SRH, it was really late.
Add to that, Rohit’s failure to put the finest playing eleven for Mumbai that really hurt their chances.
That he persisted with a clearly and horribly out of form Pollard and didn’t even give a chance to Arjun Tendulkar when that could so easily have been an option, given there was nothing that Mumbai were going to achieve anyway having crashed out - didn’t really earn Rohit any brownie points whatsoever.
In all, the Hitman failed to pack a punch.
4. Mayank Agarwal, Punjab Kings (7 losses from 13 games, recent form - 3 losses and 2 wins)
Mayank Agarwal has, quite frankly, looked a bit out of sorts as both batsman and keeper. Someone who broke the mould of his usually conservative style of batsmanship in the last two IPL seasons, usually suited for Tests, it’s clearly seemed that he belongs at this level.
But does he bring the goods as the captain and offer astute leadership that shows the way we don’t know.
Perhaps suffices to say that where Punjab are at this moment, and they’re clearly out of the qualifying contention, is exactly where Agrawal’s leadership stands.
It inspires little and leaves a lot to desire.
That being said, one of the notable contributions from Mayank Agarwal’s end has been consistently pushing for rising talents like Arshdeep Singh, now a clear death over specialist, in the playing eleven.
He was also supportive of Windies’ Odean Smith, during the big hitting medium pacer’s low moments such as the contest where Tewatia smashed him to the smithereens in a final over run chase for Gujarat.
Had Mayank the captain not been by the aggrieved talent’s side, it would’ve been an absolute loss of face for Punjab. So he did well, but his inconsistent returns with the bat and failure to convert starts much like a Shikhar Dhawan does has let Punjab down. Hasn't it?
5. Shreyas Iyer, Kolkata Knight Riders (7 losses from 13 games, recent form - 3 wins and 2 losses)
Shreyas Iyer is a cricketer who plays to full potential and doesn’t really leave anything to chance and covers all ground whilst batting. We’ve seen that in how he’s made the most of his India chances wherever a chance has arrived.
He scored a Test ton on debut and scored plenty of runs whether against the Windies earlier this year in India or even the fifties in Protea land (in ODIs).
But has he led by an example in the IPL when he was supposed to anchor the show for one of the most famous, rather iconic IPL sides?
Whilst he’s made runs in excess of 300 in this edition, in the crucial stages where KKR needed the leader to shine bright with the bat, Iyer was simply found wanting; his results being 15, 6, 6, and 34 in the last four games.
What didn’t help all that much, it could be told, was the fact that there emerged evidence that the existing CEO of Kolkata has a part in deciding the final eleven of the unit. Moreover, when asked for clarity, Iyer claims that there was a confusion on that front and that the only real role of the KKR CEO was to “console” the aggrieved who’ve missed the playing eleven seemed rather defunct and out of place (as an explanation).
You can do much better and come back stronger next season, Shreyas!
6. Rishabh Pant, Delhi Capitals (6 losses from 13 games, recent form - 3 wins and 2 losses)
The popular theory in the IPL is that what a fifty sometimes can’t do - a fiery thirty odd or stroke filled twenties will.
At present, Pant’s scores, whose key role is playing the destructor with the bat read - 7, 13 not out, 21, 26 and 44.
But then, till how long can this really suffice?
A fun character, free spirited and bold person, Pant is someone who takes his chances, backs himself to go for the big shots and doesn’t hold himself back.
It’s the very reputation that first maligned his reputation as a careless boy and then, popularised him.
Yet, it’s also the approach that has seen him turn frail and at times, faulty especially when compared to the devastation he served in the 2018 campaign in the IPL.
Pant, the batter has floundered clearly and it hasn’t helped his team one. But then, as a leader things like assuring Ravi Powell his usual batting spot of 5 when the Windies batter asked for one has shown that the smiling Delhi captain is a man of his word.
Yet, for all he’s done and failed to do, which is to inspire better performances, Pant made headlines albeit not the best ones.
7. Sanju Samson, Rajasthan Royals (5 losses from 13 games, recent form - 2 wins and 3 losses)
He’s been one of the better leaders this time around in the IPL. Sanju Samson has been clearly cool under pressure and seldom seen losing his senses in crunch situations, be it the rather dramatic contest versus Delhi where at a time, he could’ve said a thing or two untoward against his opposite numbers - he simply refrained to.
Samson, whose India career is yet to take a serene flight, has clearly proven himself to be the ideal man to lead Rajasthan.
He’s clearly stuck to his task of playing the fluent hitter in the middle order and his sublime timing, gap exploration on either side of the wicket has left the pink outfit in the pink of health if one would say so.
Moreover, even in games where the usually belligerent Buttler was not among the runs, as seen in the last three contests, Samson eschewed pressure and made some himself.
His constantly attacking with Boult up top and backing of Hetmyer has done RR a world of good and really given, in some sense, the flamboyant Windies batter a new lease of life.
These are things most will remember Sanju for in good stead in 2022.
8. Faf du Plessis, Royal Challengers Bangalore (6 losses from 13 games, recent form - 3 losses and 2 wins)
There’s little doubt about the batting prowess of someone like a Faf who’s been a standout player for the famous CSK outfit.
That ahead of this season, he was elected as captain of a side that is dear to both - intrepid IPL fans as well as the trollers - was the key talking point.
But instead of the big responsibility weighing on him, it spurred Du Plessis to some fine heights. That’s where the knocks like the 88, 73* and 96 have come from and they’ve emanated from a space of bravado and experience.
Imagine Faf’s responsibility as captain also includes issuing orders to someone like Kohli, but instead of burdening himself down, he’s taken the team collectively with him. And for a first time IPL captain, that his Bangalore are nearly through to the playoffs is fine indication that Faf hasn’t done that badly. Or has he?
9. KL Rahul, Lucknow Super Giants (5 losses from 13 games, 2 losses and 3 wins, each win on the trot)
As a first time leader and that too of a team he really didn’t have any idea of whatever, since clearly speaking, there was no team like Lucknow ever before, Rahul has been brilliant and effective from the word go.
That he’s, even at this moment one of the contenders of the orange cap, having made 469 runs with 2 fifties and as many hundreds, is a classic and standout example of a captain leading by an example, something that the likes of Rohit and Jadeja simply failed to do.
The way Rahul backed Jason Holder and even assured someone like Krunal Pandya of the key role the former MI tinder holds for Lucknow, was and is, nothing shy of exemplary.
It’s little surprise to be frank that Lucknow are among the teams that have a sure shot chance at qualifying given their consistencies.
10. Hardik Pandya, Gujarat Titans (3 losses from 13 games, recent form - 3 wins and 2 losses)
There may not have been too many, typically speaking, who would’ve given Pandya a great deal of a chance to do something wonderful for Gujarat, especially since in the last two season, there wasn’t a great deal we had actually seen of the former Mumbai Indians talent.
Form and fitness being key issues with Pandya also perhaps heightened doubts whether he’d indeed lead and do something special for Gujarat.
But then, when you conduct yourself like a Titan, you and your team also turns out to play like one.
It’s only fitting then that the Gujarat outfit are named so.
Pandya’s trust in his key men who will do the job - Lockie, Tewatia, Miller - has been a standout.
His own obdurate nature under pressure and superb batting, even though in patches, has truly lifted the morale of a side that appeared like a surprise package.
