3 prominent T20 World Cup 2021 captains who have never played in the IPL
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has often helped overseas players further their international careers. In return, quality overseas captains have used their chance to showcase their leadership skills on a big stage by grooming young Indian players and providing key tactical inputs.
England captain Eoin Morgan is at the helm of the Kolkata Knight Riders, while Australia skipper Aaron Finch has turned out for a variety of franchises in the IPL. Kiwi captain Kane Williamson is also the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain.
West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard has been an integral part of the Mumbai Indians squad in each of their five title triumphs. In fact, Pollard even led the team when regular captain Rohit Sharma was sidelined by injury.
However, some international captains haven't had the chance to feature in the IPL yet. Here are three players who will captain a country in the 2021 T20 World Cup but have never been selected to play in the cash-rich league.
#3 Dasun Shanaka - will captain Sri Lanka at the 2021 T20 World Cup
Dasun Shanaka has played in the Lanka Premier League and the Caribbean Premier League, but he hasn't turned out in the IPL yet. The Sri Lanka captain, who has been retained as the skipper of the country for the upcoming T20 World Cup, has played almost 50 T20Is.
Shanaka's numbers aren't great, with only 567 runs at an average of 15.75 and 14 wickets. This could be one of the reasons why IPL franchises haven't really been interested in him. Sri Lankan players in general have fallen out of favor with the IPL in the recent past.
Nevertheless, Shanaka has a task on his hands in the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka are placed in a tough qualification group including the Netherlands, Ireland and Namibia, and need to play well if they are to make the next stage of the tournament.
#2 Babar Azam - will captain Pakistan at the 2021 T20 World Cup
For obvious reasons, Babar Azam hasn't played in the IPL. Political tensions between India and Pakistan have ensured that players from the latter country haven't been allowed to take part in the IPL, and the situation doesn't seem like it will change anytime soon.
It's a shame, for Azam is a world-class T20 player who is currently ranked second in the ICC's batting rankings with 819 rating points. He has scored over 2,000 runs in the T20I format at an average of 46.9 and a strike rate of 130.65, with one hundred and as many as 20 fifties to his name.
Azam will be Pakistan's main man at the T20 World Cup, where they will kick off their campaign against arch-rivals India.
#1 Temba Bavuma - will captain South Africa at the 2021 T20 World Cup
South Africa's squad for the T20 World Cup threw up several surprises. Veteran batsman Faf du Plessis and star leg-spinner Imran Tahir were left out, with Temba Bavuma named as the captain of the side.
Bavuma has been decent at the helm of the Proteas since taking over earlier this year, having led the team to a famous series win over defending T20 World Cup champions West Indies. However, the 31-year-old has never been on the radar of any IPL team.
Bavuma's T20I strike rate is 126.9, something that doesn't augur well for teams who are looking for overseas enforcers instead of batsmen who offer stability. He has also played only 16 T20Is since making his debut in 2019.
Bavuma could throw himself into the mix if he has a good T20 World Cup campaign, with his compatriots Aiden Markram and Tabraiz Shamsi having already been signed as replacement players for IPL 2021.