Captaincy in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is altogether a different ball-game. You have to supervise cricketers emanating from diverse backgrounds, and seldom, all this needs to be done with just plain excel sheets in hand.
Games come thick-and-fast in this tournament, and there is utterly no respite in expectations. Media-scrutiny is another factor that clouds every decision you take on the field. With so much happening, it is inescapable that IPL franchises have to take a sensible decision while picking the man in charge.
However, we just came across an idea on what would happen if a very young cricketer takes over the mantle of an IPL squad. The likes of Shreyas Iyer have already done it, and we thought it would be interesting to analyse each team from this perspective. In this article, we take a look at one U-23 cricketer from each team who could turn up as the captain for his squad.
Chennai Super Kings – Sam Curran
It is after plenty of time that CSK has hired a talented teenager for its squad. In Sam Curran, CSK has a powerplay bowler, a strike batsman and also a gun fielder. Moreover, Curran also comes in with some international experience. With such a bio-data, if IPL ever had a rule that teams have to appoint an U-23 captain, CSK would have no issues whatsoever.
Delhi Capitals – Rishabh Pant
Delhi already has a young captain but in Shreyas Iyer, there is a fine replacement too. Pant has set his foot in international cricket and has had some experience captaining his state team as well. The Delhi cricketer might want to improve his temperament although we can imagine him being an IPL captain in the future.
Kings XI Punjab – Sarfraz Khan
KXIP has quite a few young cricketers, but amongst them, solely for his IPL experience, Sarfraz Khan is our choice to lead KXIP. The Mumbai lad’s career is slowly shaping up, and before long, we can expect him to knock on the doors of the Indian Team too.
Kolkata Knight Riders – Shubman Gill
At least, if not this season, Shubman Gill is definitely the numero-uno choice to lead KKR in the future. Gill is brim with talent, and if he can meet consistency, there are lots we can expect of him. He is also someone with a calm head, and that could work for him if he were to lead a franchise.
Mumbai Indians – Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan had led U-19 in the past, and this makes him an automatic choice to lead Mumbai if the U-23 rule were in place. Ishan has also been good with his captaincy duties for Jharkand in recent times. On the larger picture, Ishan is right below KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Sanju Samson in the race to India’s wicket-keeper spot in the limited-overs format.
Rajasthan Royals – Mahipal Lomror
Rajasthan Royals is known to be a hotspot for young cricketers, and this edition too, they are following the same route. There are some exciting players in the rooster whom the franchise can look forward to. However, when we had to pick a captaincy choice, we felt Mahipal Lomror is a better option than Yashasvi Jaiswal. Although the latter has the necessary skill-set, he is quite inexperienced and not the right choice now. On the other hand, Mahipal is a proven customer in the domestic circuit and has also led Rajasthan in recent times.
Royal Challengers Bangalore – Washington Sundar
While the likes of Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill are rated so highly, it is unfortunate that very few keep Washington Sundar in the same bracket. Washi has represented India in many matches and is a constant presence in the blue jersey. He is just 20-years-old, and with experience in TNPL, he would be a fine option for RCB in the leadership group.
Sunrisers Hyderabad – Priyam Garg
SRH acquired a few youngsters in the recent auction, including current Indian U-19 captain Priyam Garg. Priyam is a right-handed batsman who likes to operate at the top of the pile. He has a look of calm demeanor, and from his skills in the World Cup, there is potential in the youngster.
