IPL: 4 players who were shockingly handed over the captaincy
Captains have a big role to play in T20 International cricket, but even bigger in the IPL. Since the composition of the squads in the IPL are heterogeneous with players coming from different countries, it is up to the captain to make them gel well with each other.
Hence, teams usually don't mind spending a big amount at the auction investing in a good captain. It is believed that all the captains who have won the title have been shrewd tacticians with great cricketing brains.
However, some franchises got their math wrong on ocassions and made bizarre choices of captains. Some of them paid off, while some didn't. Here is a look at 4 players who were shockingly appointed captains in the IPL.
#4 Zaheer Khan
The Delhi Daredevils tried to end their long hunt for a good captain by putting Zaheer Khan at the helm of the affairs but to no avail. Zaheer who had already retired from international cricket was made the captain of the Delhi franchise at the age of 38.
The move raised many eyebrows as instead of investing in a young skipper, making a 38-year-old who had a maximum of 2 years of cricket left in him was an interesting choice. Throughout his stint as captain, Zaheer was in and out of the side, leading them in 23 games and winning only 10 out of them.
Cricketers who don't have age on their side are usually not favourites to lead as every franchise is looking to build a team keeping in mind long-term plans.