3 teams that must change their captains after IPL 2023
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won their fifth IPL title after they beat the Gujarat Titans earlier this week. One of the many reasons behind CSK's consistent run is the impact of their captain MS Dhoni. Another franchise that has been extremely successful over the years is five-time champions Mumbai Indians.
Rohit Sharma has been at the helm for 9 years now and this has led to consistency in the process and eventually reflected in the results.
However, there have been sides that have not really made an impression in the IPL and this comes down to the constant chopping and changing of captains. Be it Punjab Kings or Sunrisers Hyderabad, there is a new leader after almost every season. This was apparent in the way these teams performed this season.
Here we take a look at three IPL sides that could change their captains after this season
#3 Punjab Kings
Shikhar Dhawan was given the charge of Punjab Kings ahead of IPL 2023. However, despite having a balanced side, the team blew hot and cold all season. Dhawan was not able to utilize his resources and there were times when a few of his calls were baffling.
Harpreet Brar was never utilized as an all-rounder, and Sikandar Raza kept missing out despite putting in match-winning partnerships. Dhawan made mistakes even while coming up with tactics when the pressure was amped. Such was the miscalculation that he bowled Harpreet Brar in the final over of a match against a rampant Delhi Capitals.
Jitesh Sharma impressed as a player and could be one of the possible replacements if Punjab decided to relieve Dhawan of captaincy.
#2 Sunrisers Hyderabad
Aiden Markram came in with a lot of expectations, but he did not click with the bat and was lost while taking decisions as a captain. SRH had a solid unit, but they could only win 4 out of their 14 games in IPL 2023 and were languishing at the bottom of the points table at the end of league matches.
The Proteas cricketer never got going in the season. In 11 matches, he could only score 217 runs with a subpar average of 21.70 and one half-century. SRH would be better off using Markram as a regular batter and giving the captain's responsibility to someone else.
Players like Mayank Agarwal or Rahul Tripathi can take up the mantle in the seasons to come.
#1 Lucknow Super Giants
KL Rahul had a tough time in the IPL this year. He struggled with the bat and was ruled out of the tournament with an injury in the middle of the season. Krunal Pandya stepped in as the captain and did a decent job. Rahul has not been entirely successful as a captain in the IPL. He struggled as Punjab’s captain earlier and his performances as LSG captain, too, do not inspire any confidence.
Rahul has also come under the scanner as a batter and his slow strike rate is always in question. He can well be relieved as the captain and allowed to bat freely, giving his side the flying starts that he is capable of.