Ranking IPL 2023 Captains

IPL is a high-pressure tournament with quality cricket and huge fan engagement. People all over the world follow the IPL and it has become one of the most popular cricket leagues globally. In the league, there are ten franchises, each led by a captain responsible for the team’s performance on the field. From selecting the right line-up to crucial bowling changes, the role of the captain on the cricket field cannot be overstated. This post ranks all IPL 2023 captains, on the basis of their captaincy skills.

With high stakes, captains are also under more pressure. Which is why we’ve seen so many changes in captaincy roles in IPL franchises over the years. Choosing the best captains can be challenging since there are many factors to consider. Including the captain’s leadership abilities, his batting and bowling skills, and the team’s overall success. Here are detailed notes on ranking all 10 IPL franchise captains:

1.    Rohit Sharma (MI)

Rohit Sharma is undoubtedly the most outstanding captain in IPL history. He has led the Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles, the most by any team in the league. Aside from being an expert tactician, Rohit is also a prolific batsman and has scored over 5000 runs. He is adept at reading match situations and understands the game well, which has given him the ability to make informed decisions.

2.  MS Dhoni (CSK)

MS Dhoni is a legendary captain in the IPL. As captain of the Chennai Super Kings, he led them to win 4 IPL titles, the second most after the Mumbai Indians. Aside from his solid track record, his calm and experience have been very helpful to his team during the tournament. His batting prowess and crucial decision-making make him one of the best captains in the IPL.

3.    Sanju Samson (RR)

There is no doubt that Sanju Samson is a young talent on the Indian cricket circuit and he is one to watch in the years to come. A 3 consecutive disaster season did not allow the Rajasthan Royals to reach the playoffs during the years 2019 to 2021. Samson was named the first captain of the Royals in 2021 and they finished 7th that season. Next year, Samson led the team to their first final since 2008 and contributed 458 runs.

4.  Faf du Plessis (RCB)

The Royal Challengers Bangalore have been short of glory since the beginning of the tournament. With Virat stepping down as RCB captain in 2022, Faf du Plessis is now in charge of the team’s quest for an IPL title. The last season wasn’t so bad for RCB as they managed to reach the playoffs with Captain du Plessis scoring 468 runs in 16 matches.

5.  David Warner (DC)

In 2023, David Warner will lead the Delhi Capitals. Prior to this, he was the captain of SRH, but his performance wasn’t as impressive as the leader of the side. Despite this, he was SRH’s star performer in their only title in 2016, scoring 848 runs across 17 games. So, the expectation is high that he will lead his team to victory.

6.    Hardik Pandya (GT)

Gujrat Titans surprised everyone when they won their maiden IPL title in their first season under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy last year. The all-rounder carried his team to the final by scoring 487 runs with four 50s at a strike rate of 131.2 and picking up 8 crucial wickets in 15 matches. His heroics in the debut season as captain placed him third on our list.

7.  KL Rahul (LSG)

After being a consistent performer for Kings XI, Lucknow Super Giants appointed Rahul as their captain in their maiden IPL season in 2022. He took his side to the playoffs and scored 616 runs in 15 matches. Even though his batting has always been impressive, he still needs to work on his captaincy skills.

8.    Aiden Markram (SRH)

Aiden Markram, an SA20 title winner, has been appointed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s new captain following his red-hot performance. It looks as if the prolific batter is in the form of his life with the bat, and fans are hoping for the team’s second title in IPL.

9.  Shreyas Iyer (KKR)

After impressing everyone as Delhi’s captain, Iyer was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders and named the team’s captain. Under his captaincy, the team failed to make a mark and finished seventh overall. So, he will be hoping to improve his side’s performance in the upcoming season.

10. Shikhar Dhawan (Punjab Kings)

There’s no doubt that Shikhar Dhawan has been an impressive opener over the years. Unfortunately, his form hasn’t been great lately. So being the new captain of the Punjab Kings, Dhawan will be under a lot of pressure to live up to the expectations of the franchise’s fans.