Captaincy in the Indian Premier League is a different ballgame compared to International Cricket. While in the national colors, you lead the guys whom you have known for a few years, in IPL, it is different. Not only would you be captaining relatively unknown cricketers, but there is also the foreign contingent you need to take care of.
Hence, each franchise makes sure the right captain leads the team on the field. Till now, it has mostly been experienced Indian players and skillful overseas players who have been given the task. Considering this tactic has been successful so far, it would likely persist until a few more seasons.
In the current scenario, there are a few Indian players who are quite capable of captaincy in IPL. However, it doesn’t seem possible now because their respective teams already have good captains. That said, if an opportunity comes, these players must be ready to take over. Hence, we feel that these players must be given the task of vice-captaincy from the upcoming season.
1. Manish Pandey
In the scene for a very long time, Manish Pandey deserves a promotion in IPL. He is anyway not new to captaincy either. As the Karnataka captain, Manish has won multiple trophies. For SRH, if not immediately, they must start focussing on what happens if Warner loses form. A foreign captain then can be very disadvantageous. Manish can do the job if required, and hence, he must be given the captaincy. That said, if SRH releases Manish and he goes to a team like KKR or RR, who also have foreign captains, the player can straightaway be given the armband.
2. Shubman Gill
Had he been in a different franchise, we might have had different views. However, at KKR, the faster Shubman Gill is made the captain, the better. Although he does not have much experience, he has the skills to emulate the likes of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. Moreover, KKR should look for a fresh change, and appointing Gill as the captain could be a good start. With Morgan at the helm, that may not happen, and hence, Gill must at least get the vice-captaincy in 2021.
3. Ravindra Jadeja
It is surprising that not many consider him a captaincy material. However, with years of experience at the highest level, and having interacted massively with a man like MSD, Jaddu can be a good choice. We are pretty sure CSK will be considering this as well. Hence, by giving him the vice-captaincy of the squad, CSK could start looking ahead at the post-MSD era.
4. Hardik Pandya
Kieron Pollard is currently MI’s vice-captain. That is mainly because of his experience in the T20 format, and his involvement with MI. However, we feel Hardik must replace him next season. It is high-time that Hardik involves himself in the leadership group so that he could take his career to the next level. Kieron is aging fast, and it might be the right time for Hardik to step up. Getting a hang of the responsibility can also have a positive impact on his performances.
5. Mayank Agarwal
Mayank might not be adequately experienced for the role, but he has the head, and the skills needed to be a leader. And in KXIP, we don’t see anyone apart from him being the captaincy backup for KL Rahul. Hence, Mayank must become his team’s vice-captain for next season. Like with Hardik, the added responsibility could boost his career.
6. Yuzvendra Chahal
One of the three pillars at RCB, Yuzvendra Chahal is already part of the leadership group in the franchise. The time might be ripe for him to be officially tasked with the same. ABD might not continue long in RCB, and it will be down to Yuzi and VK. Virat is himself under pressure, and having a smart cricketing mind to consult on various decisions is necessary. Chahal definitely seems cut for the role.
