IPL 2020: All-Stars Game | 3 players who can captain South-West India XI
The 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to kick-off on March 29, and will end with the final to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 24. The decision was taken following the IPL governing council meeting held in in New Delhi last week.
Apart from the regular games, we will also witness an All-Stars game being played three days prior to the start of the main tournament. The sides will be created by dividing the eight franchises into two, with each side featuring players from four franchises.
As per reports, one team will have players from North and East India - namely Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi Capitals (DC), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The second team will be created by picking players from Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) i.e. South and West India.
Here we look at 3 top contenders to lead South and West India against North and East India in the All-Stars match.
#3. Virat Kohli
As captain, Virat Kohli has somehow failed to get the best out of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Year after year, they have struggled to impress even though Kohli has led from the front with the bat. After finishing runners-up at the 2016 edition, they have stood 8th , 6th and 8th at the last three tournaments. Under Kohli, RCB have won only 49 out of 110 matches they have played, a poor win percentage of 47.16.
Also see – IPL 2020 schedule
However, being the star player that he is, as well as India’s captain in all formats, a highly successful one at that, Kohli will definitely be in contention to lead South and West India for the All-Stars contest. Kohli’s captaincy results in IPL have been in stark contrast to his India leadership, where he is on the verge of becoming one of India’s most successful captains ever.
The Indian captain also has an exceptional IPL record as batsman, which could also come into consideration when the leadership position is discussed. In 177 matches, Kohli has amassed 5.412 runs at a strike rate of 131.61 and an average of 37.84. He was spectacular in the 2016 season with 973 in 16 games at an average of 81.08. Kohli smashed four hundreds and seven fifties in the season.
Note: All statistics as of February 3, 2020