IPL 2019: 3 teams who could change their captains
In a fast flowing format of cricket, the skills like batting, bowling, and fielding might not be enough for a team to rise to the top. The T20 format is the one that puts a team into crux more often than any other format of the game. The matches turning on their head is just a matter of few balls.
That's where the captaincy comes into play. This skill not only tests the cricketing talent of a player but also squeezes out his real character. A successful captain is the one who can take the team over the line even without utilizing his game's primary skill set. The ultimate characteristic is to cope up with the game pressure and make the correct decision in the end. The bowlers left, over remaining, pitch conditions, the game situation all add to the thoughtful factors
Throughout the eleven editions of Indian Premier League, only Chennai Super Kings have managed to bank upon a single cricketer to lead their side, the king and former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Teams like Kolkata Knight Riders with Dinesh Karthik, Sunrisers Hyderabad with Kane Williamson, Mumbai Indians with Rohit Sharma looks quite settled as captains, there are a few franchises brainstorming on this aspect.
The rumors have been floating around about Royal Challengers Bangalore, who seem to have chosen AB de Villiers as their new skipper over Virat Kohli for the upcoming season. Moreover, Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils, who have turned up to the most number of players for the leadership role since the inception of the cash-rich league, are expected to make certain amendments ahead of the upcoming season as well.
Let us have a look at the three teams that are expected to be in the race for switching their leaders.
#1 Rajasthan Royals
Though Rajasthan Royals had a pretty decent outing in the last IPL season, as they reached the playoffs, it was mostly due to the individual performances rather than the leadership. From the past few months, Ajinkya Rahane has been struggling with batting form which was quite evident in his test performances, where his batting average has dipped from nearly 50 to just 41.
It may be true or not, but his let down with the bat has affected his captaincy as well, which was very ordinary in IPL 2018. But that's not the end of the road for Jinx, as the idea is to take the added burden off his shoulders and play him as a batsman in the team.
RR should turn up to Jos Buttler for the new role. The English wicket-keeper batsman is undergoing a purple patch and definitely owns a calm head on his shoulders, which might be suitable for a captain in pressure-cooker situations of T20 cricket.