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With most teams looking to build their squads from scratch, the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction promises to be an exciting event with some of the best players in the world set to go under the hammer. While each of the existing eight teams was allowed a maximum of four retentions, the two new franchisees have purchased three players in the draft.
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One of the biggest focus points of the tournament will be who ends up captaining every team. While Ahmedabad, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and Rajasthan Royals (RR) know who will lead them, that is not the case for every team. The likes of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Punjab Kings (PBKS) need a new skipper.
Here is a look at five players who could provide captaincy options-
1) Shreyas Iyer- Without a doubt, Shreyas Iyer is going to be the biggest captaincy candidate in the auction. Not only is Iyer, one of the most dependable India middle-order batters, he also has a lot of captaincy experience after leading Delhi Capitals (DC) for three seasons in the league. In fact, it was under his captaincy that the Delhi-based franchise reached the final of the IPL for the first time (in 2020) in their history.
2) David Warner- For a long period of time, David Warner and SRH formed one of IPL’s most beautiful relationships and was a rare example of an overseas skipper working to perfection. However, it all came crashing down in the 2021 season when he was first sacked from captaincy and later dropped from the playing XI.
While his poor form with the bat gave reason for people to doubt Warner, the left-handed opener slammed his critics in style at the 2021 T20 World Cup where he was the player of the tournament as Australia won the competition for the first time.
Warner is arguably the league’s best batter in history having won the orange cap on three occasions also led SRH to the title in 2016. With his experience, leadership skills, and quality; it won’t be a surprise if Warner is back to captaincy duties in IPL 2022
3) Ishan Kishan- Mumbai Indians’ (MI) decision to not retain Ishan Kishan was one of the major talking points of the retention day as Kishan is one of the talented young batters around. Not only can the 23-year-old tonk the ball as an opener in the powerplay, but he is also someone who can bat in the middle order. The versatility along with wicket-keeping ability is set to make him one of the most sought-after players in the auction.
It won’t be a surprise if he ends up as the most expensive player after the two-day event in Bengaluru. While Kishan is set to attract interest for his playing ability alone, he is someone who cannot be ignored for captaincy. The two-time IPL champion led the Indian U-19 team during the 2016 World Cup and with age on his side is a viable option for a franchise to build around for the future.
4) Jason Holder- With the auction less than two weeks away, Jason Holder might have chosen the perfect moment to take a double hat-trick against England. Overseas pace-bowling all-rounders is a spot that always gets big bids in the auction and with Ben Stokes and Sam Curran missing from the players going under the hammer, Holder could be one of the hottest prospects.
It’s worth remembering that Kieron Pollard and Marcus Stoinis have already been picked up which leaves not many premium all-round options left at the auction. While it’s guaranteed Holder will get a big bid, he could emerge as an unlikely captaincy option. With his experience of leading West Indies for a number of years, he is definitely a player, a franchise could look to take a punt on.
5) Shikhar Dhawan- Shikhar Dhawan is a player that only seems to be getting better with age with his performance in the IPL over the last two seasons proof of the same. The 36-year-old transformed himself into the perfect modern-day T20 opener. While he was always a consistent run-scorer, Dhawan is now someone who also scores at very high strike rates.
There are very few Indian players as experienced as him on the auction table and he cannot be overlooked from captaincy conversations. While his only stint as skipper in the league with SRH in 2014 lasted for less than a season but the left-hander is now a more experienced and established player. He also led India during the tour of Sri Lanka last year.
