Captaincy changes have become quite common in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The last three editions of the cash-rich league have witnessed several franchises changing their leaders for several reasons. While the team results and their own performances have been a significant reason, a few have caused due to injuries or other avoidable reasons.
The IPL 2021 will also surprisingly witness a few captaincy changes as the UAE prepares to host the remaining matches of the competition. The international commitments and their respective cricketing boards’ refusal to give them the NOC will likely cause a considerable number of players to miss the UAE leg. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if it would affect the teams for the better or not.
We take a look at three teams that could undergo captaincy chances in the UAE leg of IPL 2021:
Delhi Capitals:
Delhi Capitals are likely to receive a massive boost in the form of Shreyas Iyer, whose shoulder injury forced him to miss the first leg of IPL 2021. Shreyas Iyer injured his shoulder during the ODI series against England and had to undergo surgery. The right-handed batsman underwent a successful surgery and could be fit in time for the remaining matches of the tournament.
While Rishabh Pant has done an outstanding job for the Capitals thus far and the franchise barely felt Iyer’s absence, the 26-year old’s presence in the middle-order should further strengthen their batting. Shreyas’ captaincy record is an encouraging one, leading the franchise to 23 wins out of 41 games. In addition, his numbers with the bat are decent, mustering 2200 runs in 79 matches at 31.43.
Kolkata Knight Riders:
Kolkata Knight Riders have had a forgettable season thus far as they have managed only two victories out of seven matches. Having not reached the playoffs since 2018, Kolkata Knight Riders need a string of wins without hiccups to sneak into it this year. But their captain Eoin Morgan has yet to prove himself more than a liability this year, managing only 92 runs in seven games.
Eoin Morgan did a decent job last year after taking over from Dinesh Karthik midway through IPL 2020; however, he has been poor this year. With the England limited-overs skipper likely to be unavailable this year, it comes as a blessing in disguise for the franchise. But it remains uncertain who will take charge in his probable absence. Keeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik looks like the frontrunner to take the job.
SunRisers Hyderabad:
SunRisers Hyderabad is yet another franchise that has put on a horror show thus far. The Orange Army has endured the recurring problem of their misfiring middle-order, costing them at least a couple of wins and accumulating only one victory out of seven games. Moreover, their captain David Warner, who has held their batting line-up together for a long time, could not fire as expected this year.
