Best Playing XI featuring only IPL team captains
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the world's best T20 league at the moment, with the best players from across the planet competing against each other in the unique city-based franchise competition.
BCCI launched IPL in 2008 and brought about a revolution in the cricket world. The dream of many fans to see foreign players play in the same team as the Indian stars became a reality because of the tournament. It also gave a platform to the youngsters to showcase their talents and earn a place in their respective national teams.
Captaining an IPL team is tough as players from multiple nations feature in the same playing XI. However, some players excelled in this role and achieved a lot of success.
In this listicle, we will look at the best playing XI featuring 11 such players who have captained an IPL team.
Openers - Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar
Gautam Gambhir is one of only three captains to have won more than one Indian Premier League trophy. The left-handed batter led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in 2012 and 2014. Overall, he led KKR and Delhi Capitals in 129 matches, recording 71 wins.
Sachin Tendulkar will open the batting with Gambhir for this team. Tendulkar led Mumbai Indians to the IPL 2010 Final. He was the first player to win Orange Cap as captain in the league.
Middle Order - Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Shane Watson
Former Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli will bat in the middle order along with Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma and Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni. Kohli led RCB in 140 matches, registering 64 wins. RCB made it to the Indian Premier League 2016 final under his captaincy.
Sharma and Dhoni are two of the most successful captains in the league's history. While Dhoni has led CSK to four trophies, Sharma has won five titles as MI's captain.
Yuvraj Singh and Shane Watson will be the two all-rounders in the team. Spin-bowling all-rounder Singh led Punjab Kings and Pune Warriors across multiple seasons, recording 21 wins in 43 matches. Pace-bowling all-rounder Watson led RCB and Rajasthan Royals in 24 games, recording eight wins.
Bowlers - Shaun Pollock, Harbhajan Singh, Shane Warne and Zaheer Khan
Former Mumbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh will lead the team's spin attack along with former RR skipper Shane Warne.
Singh was the first-ever skipper of MI. He led Mumbai in 20 games, recording 10 wins, whereas Warne was the first captain to win the Indian Premier League trophy.
Fast bowlers Shaun Pollock and Zaheer Khan complete the lineup. Both pacers did not have long careers as IPL captains. Pollock captained MI in four matches, winning three of them. Meanwhile, Zaheer won 10 out of 23 matches as Delhi's captain.
Playing XI of IPL Captains
Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Shane Watson, Harbhajan Singh, Shane Warne, Zaheer Khan and Shaun Pollock.