The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to start next month on September 19th, 2020 in the United Arab Emirates. The coronavirus pandemic has put the sporting activities on hold and therefore the tournament was not able to commence on its summer schedule in April.
However, now the BCCI is set to host the tournament abroad in the United Arab Emirates in three stadiums namely- Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Amid all the uncertainties the team have made sure that they have already assigned backup for their crucial players, so much. So that they have even elected backup captain in case their assign leader misses a few matches due to some unprecedented circumstances.
Here are the backup skippers for the IPL Franchises-
Ajinkya Rahane (Delhi Capitals)
An experienced Indian batsman is a great option for Delhi to lead the franchise in case Shreyash Iyer misses out under any circumstances. The Capitals have a very experienced Indian contingent with players like Shikhar Dhawan and Ravi Ashwin who can also lead the unit. Iyer as a leader has been very good and with Rahane behind him, the young batsman will get a lot of advice from the experienced Mumbai born cricketer.
Glenn Maxwell (Kings XI Punjab)
The Kings have experienced a lot of changes in leadership over the years and players like Adam Gilchrist Virender Sehwag, Kumar Sangakkara, Yuvraj Singh, George Bailey, Mahela Jayawardene, David Hussey, Glenn Maxwell, Ravichandran Ashwin, and David Mille. With Ashwin traded to Delhi they are short on experienced side.
India international KL Rahul is elected as captain and the Bangaluru based wicketkeeper-batsman has shown promise with his willow and is now expected to take the next step as a leader. However in his absence a long term servant for the franchise, Glenn Maxwell can come in handy. The Aussie explosive batsman has had some leadership experience and it feels that he may be the backup option.
Kieran Pollard (Mumbai Indians)
Mumbai Indians are one of the most successful franchises in IPL and have had a lot of iconic leaders over the years. But they have found success under Indian batsman Rohit Sharma who remains the undisputed leader. However, in his absence, there can be a lot of options creeping up. But Kieron Pollard makes a lot of sense as a leader as he has been with the franchise for so long and being one of the senior members of the team it feels like he can hold the team together as a skipper.
Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings)
There is no question about CSK’s leadership, the Yellow army is led by the former Indian captain MS Dhoni. The crazy IPL statistics of the franchise with Dhoni at the helm proves how good the 39-year old has been over the years. However, in his absence, there can be only one player who can lead the side. This player will still be a fan favourite. That is Suresh Raina.
Considered as the Robin to Dhoni’s Batman, the southpaw is loved by the CSK fans. His performances in Yellow amplifies the deserved respect he gets. CSK has players like Harbhajan Singh, Shane Watson and Faf Du Plessis. These have had leadership experience in the past. Despite that, we can’t really think beyond Raina in this case.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (Aaron Finch)
Captained by the Indian skipper, Virat Kohli RCB have gone through some rough patches. There have been questions over his future as the franchise captain. In any case, if Kohli misses a few games or decides to take a hiatus from leadership then they have some leaders in their current squad. These include the names of AB de Villiers and Aaron Finch.
Finch looks like a pretty strong option considering his exploits with the Australia national team. Further, he has also done well with Melbourne Renegades in Big Bash League. The Aussie opener has captained earlier in the IPL when he led Pune Warriors Indian back in 2013.
Eoin Morgan (Kolkata Knight Riders)
KKR have been very busy making amends to their last season’s team. However, one area they have not tinkered is their captainship. It still remains with wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik. Although they have signed English skipper, Morgan but the franchise still have shown trust in the Tamil Nadu based cricketer.
However, in his absence, the baton may shift to Morgan in no time. While a lot of fans have been vocal of making Morgan the captain this season, their wish may very well come true. Having led England to World Cup win, Morgan does not need to prove himself of how good of a leader he is. We do think he deserves a chance as well.
Kane Williamson (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Sunrisers have been a very upbeat franchise in the last couple of seasons. They are fully focused to continue the same way. After a tumultuous season without David Warner, the franchise has elected the Aussie to lead the side in the 13th edition of the IPL.
However in any case, if the explosive Aussie misses a few matches they can always shift back to their former captain in Kane Williamson. The Kiwi is known for his calm and composed nature and headstrong mentality. This is having led his national team to the World Cup final. So there is no question of anyone else coming in contention.
Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals)
A similar case like Sunrisers as they also missed their star foreigner in Steve Smith. This was due to the sandpaper gate scandal but now the Aussie batsman is back. He is back as the captain for the Royals. Over the years, the Royals have made several changes at the helm to find the right leader. Now it looks like they have found the ideal match in Smith.
However if the Australian misses a few matches of the IPL or is unavailable due to certain circumstances, the Royals have a lot of players to back him up like Jos Buttler. They also have Ben Stokes, David Miller and even Robin Uthappa. However considering the impact, Buttler has had in the side we feel that if the baton is passed on from Smith it will land in Buttler’s hands.
