3 Greatest IPL Captains of all time
The festivities are about to begin. The next edition of the IPL is around the corner. Players around the world are busy auditioning for a lucrative IPL contract as team scouts are scouring the horizon to find the next diamond in the rough.
IPL's growth has been simply sensational. Mccullum's 158 runs off 73 balls in the first match of the IPL was the perfect kick-off to the high-octane brand of cricket that the IPL represents. The best of the best players in the world come together to compete fiercely in this most prestigious league cricket tournament in the world.
Initially, it was the razzmatazz, glamour and after-game parties that made the headlines. In fact, many cricket enthusiasts even refused to acknowledge the IPL as a serious cricket tournament. But, the IPL has revolutionized cricket. As it turns out, it has lived up to its billing. It is now the gold standard of high-octane, competitive cricket that other leagues are trying to emulate.
Apart from all the distractions that surround the IPL outside of the playing field, really, the most memorable moments of the IPL come from within the playing field. There have been numerous incredible individual performances that have made superstars of virtually unknown cricketers.
The IPL has also been a platform for the fans to witness some exceptional captaincy. Innovative moves and bold decisions by fearless captains have resulted in some famous wins. It has been the budding ground for some great leaders to emerge. Let's rank the three greatest IPL captains of all time and re-live some of their achievements:
#3 Shane Warne
Shane Warne's leadership style and captaincy nous are of the kind and quality that need to be recorded in a textbook and used as a guide for young budding leaders aspiring to captain their teams.
His ability to take a team of unknown and inexperienced players and to will them to a title win in the first edition of the IPL was truly an exhibition of one of the finest pieces of captaincy witnessed in modern day cricket. He led by example, motivated his players to dig deep in their hearts, inspired them through his own performance, and made them believe that they can win the championship.
No expert gave Warne's Rajasthan Royals even a remote chance of winning the IPL title in that first edition. But Warne and his warriors proved all of them wrong and won the hearts of millions. Truly, Warne is one of the greatest inspirational leaders the IPL has known and for that, he makes it to #3 of the greatest IPL captains of all time.