A bowler is usually not considered while appointing the captain of the squad. A skipper has important decisions to make when his team is fielding. Since a bowler will also have his primary skill to worry about during this phase, an added responsibility of captaincy could be hard. Nevertheless, players like Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan and others have been IPL captains in the past. In this article, we take a look at five bowlers who could be future IPL captains.
With two new teams likely to enter the fray from IPL 2022, two new captains will also have to be ready by that time. The whole situation will also open up more captaincy spots in the future. Hence, a few bowlers could get a chance to showcase their leadership skills.
1. Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah has been one of the best pacers in the league in the last few years. Currently, he operates at Mumbai Indians, where the choice for captaincy is Rohit Sharma. Kieron Pollard is Rohit’s deputy in that regard. However, considering his experience in the format, Bumrah could get a chance to skipper the squad in the future. Maybe, after the Hitman retires or if Bumrah happens to move to a different franchise, a captaincy position could become available.
2. Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan is one of the bowlers who could become future IPL captains. Currently, the Afghan is an undroppable name for SRH. His impact is enormous, and this is likely to stay this way for a few more years. It would not be a surprise if Rashid Khan is given the captaincy mantle in the future. He has the experience of doing it for his country, which makes him all the more suited to lead an IPL franchise.
3. Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins is the No.1 Test bowler, apart from being an effective bowler in other formats. The Aussie is a decent hand with the bat in all the formats. There are possibilities that he could take up Australia’s Test captaincy in the future. Although there is scope for improvement regarding his performances in IPL, there are decent enough chances for him to become one of the bowlers who can be future IPL captains. His experience and calm head are two attributes that make him fit for the responsibility.
4. Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada is yet another bowler who has been consistent in IPL. Like Pat and Bumrah, he also possesses the experience and a calm head on the shoulders. All of this could come in handy for a captain of an IPL franchise. Hence, the South African can become a future leader in the Indian Premier League.
5. Deepak Chahar
Unlike most of his other counterparts, Deepak Chahar usually exudes calmness in the park. Even when he goes for runs, he always tries to make a strong comeback. This feature could tempt IPL management to appoint him as a captain in the distant future. Deepak has already led Rajasthan in the domestic competitions. Therefore, he has experience in the role and might be a good option in IPL after he gains more games under his belt in the competition.
