The Indian Premier League has initiated its preparations for the Mega Auction scheduled in January. With the addition of two new teams in form of Ahmedabad and Lucknow, the cash-rich league has grown bigger and better. Along with the expansion, there will be a mega auction, which means that all of the teams will be completely overhauled and will begin again with the two new teams.
All existing franchises were permitted to keep a maximum of four players, either two Indians and two overseas or three Indians and one overseas. Prior to the auction, a maximum of two uncapped players may be retained. Furthermore, the two new teams would be allowed to select three players from the auction pool, two Indians and one overseas.
The existing franchises have announced their retentions, and all players except them are now in the auction pool. The two new teams can contact any player they want and reach a financial agreement. Many captaincy candidates have returned to the auction tables. Here, we look at the-
Eight potential captaincy prospects for the two new IPL sides
1. David Warner
During the first half of the IPL 2021, the Australian opening batter was relieved of captaincy duties. The Sunrisers had a disastrous IPL season in 2021, prompting them to force Warner to relinquish captaincy duties and hand over the reins to Kane Williamson. As a result of his poor form, he was even dropped from the Hyderabad-based franchise’s playing XI.
The relationship between Warner and SRH management deteriorated, and the management ultimately decided not to retain Warner for the year 2022. After regaining his form, Warner made a miraculous comeback and was named “Player of the Tournament” in Australia’s World Cup-winning campaign. Warner is regarded as an outstanding tactical captain on the field. Bringing Warner on board for IPL 2022 will undoubtedly benefit the two new teams.
Warner’s combination of aggressive and tactical captaincy makes him a serious contender for the captaincy of the new teams. Warner’s captaincy records are also impressive. He led SRH to an IPL victory over RCB in 2016 and has been instrumental in helping them reach the playoffs in the years since. Furthermore, Warner has regained his batting form and can direct his energy in the right direction by serving as the team’s gun opener. He is aggressive throughout the game and handles pressure situations exceptionally well, making him the deserving first pick for the two new franchises.
2. Shreyas Iyer
The ex-captain of the Delhi Capitals was injured on the field and had to undergo surgery. This led him to miss IPL 2021 and the captaincy duties were handed to Rishabh Pant. Furthermore, after Shreyas returned to the Delhi set up in the second half of the IPL 2021, the management chose to keep Pant as their regular captain. As a result, Shreyas requested that Delhi to not retain him prior to the mega auction, and Delhi management accepted his proposal and decided not to retain him for the future.
Shreyas can be an excellent captaincy prospect for the two new franchises. He worked on polishing his captaincy skills under Ricky Ponting who is regarded as one of the best captains in the World. Shreyas can put forth all his captaincy experience in the new franchise and can build a strong team. His records are also impressive after he took over reins of DC from Gautam Gambhir and has led the team to two consecutive playoff appearances in 2019 and 2020. He also helped them reach the finals in 2020, where they were defeated by the Mumbai Indians.
Shreyas can serve as the pivot of the two new franchises’ batting units. Given his progress in the format, he could be a hot property enough to make it to the auction tables. During the middle overs, he provides the necessary impetus to the batting lineup and can bash the spinners at will. Shreyas, who is still in the early stages of his career, can be considered a future brand ambassador for the new franchises.
3. KL Rahul
The swashbuckling opener was with the Punjab Kings until the tournament’s 14th edition. He was in excellent form and was unquestionably the best Indian batter in the most recent editions of the IPL. Because of his performance, he was offered the captaincy in 2020 after Ravichandran Ashwin was traded to the Delhi Capitals. Even after being appointed captain, he continued to amass a massive number of runs. The team, on the other hand, never played as a unit and was mostly a one-man show. As a result, KL Rahul decided to part ways with the Punjab franchise ahead of the mega auction scheduled in January.
Rahul has the potential to be an excellent captain for the two new teams. He has previous IPL experience as the captain of the Punjab Kings. Moreover, he carried the team’s fragile batting order and wicketkeeping duties all by himself. He would welcome a fresh start in either of the two new franchises so that he can build a team that is not overly reliant on him and can play as a unit.
KL offers multidimensional qualities for the two new franchises. On his day, he can bat up the order and demolish any attack. His skill level is unrivaled, as is his hitting range. Furthermore, he has been consistent in the shorter format of the game, making him an automatic pick. He is also an excellent wicketkeeper. Overall, missing out on a player of his caliber could be very costly for the new franchises, and they would be eager to get him on board for the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League.
4. Rashid Khan
It came as a shocker to all the cricket fans when Sunrisers Hyderabad announced its retentions and Rashid’s name was missing from the list. The star spinner, who was with the franchise from 2017 to 2021, decided to part ways because he was not allowed to be retained as the first player. He said he deserved the first retention but SRH was interested to retain its captain, Kane Williamson, as the first retention. Rashid Khan is back at the auction table and all the franchises must be really eager to acquire his services.
Khan is currently regarded as the best T20 player in the world. He has played in a variety of leagues around the world and has a wealth of experience. He has absolutely dominated in all of the teams he has played for. Furthermore, having a spinner of his stature would be a luxury for any franchise. Rashid Khan is without a doubt the best spinner to have played the game’s shortest format.
The spinner is well-versed in the responsibilities of captaincy. He has captained Afghanistan’s national team and has learned a great deal about the nuances of captaincy. As a result, he can be an unconventional captaincy candidate for the two new franchises. His stature in the shortest format of the game warrants some captaincy experience in the cash-rich league.
5. Faf Du Plessis
The South African legend was CSK’s most valuable player during their successful run in the IPL 2021. Faf did not make the cut for the franchise’s retention because Moeen Ali was chosen as the overseas option due to his multidimensional abilities. As a result, Faf would be on the radar of the two new teams, as well as a possible captaincy candidate for the franchises.
Faf is well-versed in the difficulties and nuances of captaincy. He was South Africa’s former captain in all three formats of the game. In the CPL, he captained St Lucia Kings and led them to the finals in 2021. He also has T10 league captaincy experience, as he leads the Bangla Tigers. Overall, he is regarded as a brilliant captain and a valuable asset to any franchise.
A vastly experienced player, a magnificent batter, and a brilliant fielder, Faf contributed in all games for the MS Dhoni-led franchise. Faf scored 633 runs at a strike rate of 138.20 in the 14th edition of the IPL. His ability to perform in clutch situations distinguishes him as a special player, and when he takes over the captaincy, he becomes more responsible and brings his A-game to any franchise for which he plays. As a result, Faf could be an excellent captaincy candidate for the two new franchises ahead of the IPL 2022.
6. Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan, the 2019 World Cup-winning captain, was released from the KKR franchise despite leading them to an epic turnaround in the second half of the IPL 2021. In the 14th edition of the IPL, he was released due to poor returns from the bat. He is regarded as one of the brilliant captains who has contributed to England’s meteoric rise in recent years. His captaincy record is incredible, and he led England to a World Cup victory.
He also led England in T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and the team was able to reach the semifinals of the tournament. Morgan has the ability to provide extreme tactical finesse in any franchises’ setup. His aggressive moves as a captain have gotten a lot of attention. His uncanny methods of reading the signs from the team’s analyst have got him a good amount of success. With his tactical acumen, he sets up perfect bowling changes and brilliant field setups depending on the matchups.
Morgan also provides excellent batting value in the middle order of any batting lineup. He is deemed to be an aggressive batter and has the power to hit sixes at will. He can provide the necessary impetus at the death. Overall, he can a boon for the new franchises who are looking for a tactically brilliant captain and an equally competent middle-order batter.
7. Manish Pandey
The Karnataka-born batter has been regarded as the cornerstone of any franchise for which he has played. After a disastrous IPL 2021 season with SRH, he was released ahead of the mega auctions. Because he is Indian and does not occupy an important overseas slot, he can be an excellent captaincy prospect for the new franchises.
Manish Pandey has extensive experience as a domestic cricket captain. In recent years, he has captained Karnataka’s domestic team and has been quite successful. Despite the absence of key players in SMAT 2021, he led Karnataka to the finals. He has the ability to perform brilliantly for the team in critical situations. As a result, he can serve as the fulcrum around which the team will revolve.
Though his batting form has dipped off late, he is capable to demolish any bowling attack on his day. In addition to his batting ability, he is an exceptional fielder who is capable of taking some stunners and changing the course of the game. Overall, he is a potential matchwinner and the new teams should be interested to have a look at him in the mega auctions.
8. Steve Smith
Former Australian cricket captain Steve Smith has a wealth of experience as a captain. He has led the national side in all three formats in the game. After being embroiled in the sandpaper controversy, he was stripped off from the captaincy duties and he will be keen to get the responsibility of a captain when he will be back at the auction tables.
Smith has previously captained IPL franchises in addition to his national captaincy. He previously led the Rajasthan Royals as captain in 2019 and 2020. He was instrumental in Rising Pune Supergiants’ successful IPL 2017 season. He was crucial to the RPS franchise after the decision was made to remove MS Dhoni and hand over the reins to Smith. He relishes added responsibilities and that makes him a more potent batter in the shortest format of the game.
Smith, has an unorthodox technique, which frustrates many bowlers. He has the ability to nudge around singles and doubles and control the innings in the favour of his team. He is an excellent timer of the ball and can play the big shots depending on the situation. Overall, he could be an excellent commodity for the franchises to have in their teams.
Written by- Satyam
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