IPL 2020: Ranking the captains of all 8 teams after Week 1 | 19th-26th September
The 13th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) has seen only 8 matches take place so far, but it already promises to be one of the most tightly-contested editions of the tournament ever.
With only one team still undefeated and some of the tournament favourites getting off to losing starts, IPL 2020 has been a rollercoaster ride even in the short time that it has captured the attention of the cricketing fraternity across the world.
We've seen captaincy performances that have been both tactically brilliant and implausibly bizarre in equal measure, and here is a ranking of all 8 IPL 2020 skippers based on their showing so far.
Note: Performances up to Match 8 of IPL 2020 (KKR vs SRH) have been considered.
#8 MS Dhoni (CSK) - 6th in IPL 2020
It is a terrible shame to rank one of the greatest captains of all time at #8 on this list, but MS Dhoni's lack of confidence with his batting has greatly impacted CSK in the early stages of IPL 2020.
The first game against MI didn't see the former Indian captain come out to bat, but that wasn't a major surprise as CSK coasted to a comfortable win. However, Dhoni's batting positions in the second and third games against RR and DC respectively have led experts to question whether he is shying away from the responsibility.
The need for other team members to spend time out in the middle is certainly true, but MS Dhoni, who last played a top-level game of cricket in the 2019 World Cup before IPL 2020, needs it as much as anyone else. The 39-year-old has also played with only 5 bowling options in all three games, and has been a bit shorthanded in that department.
CSK have now lost 2 out of their first 3 games, and they need their captain to step up and show the world why he is one of the greatest cricketers of all time.
Also see:- IPL standings
#7 David Warner (SRH) - 8th in IPL 2020
David Warner and SRH have fallen to two defeats in their first two IPL 2020 games, and have now lost 5 on the trot in the prestigious league. The team's failures has largely been down to their threadbare middle order, but even the famed SRH bowling hasn't been anywhere near as potent as it usually is.
Team selection has been an issue for SRH, who were unlucky on many levels in their first game against RCB but were tactically distinctly poor against KKR. Kane Williamson has been warming the bench even though he appears to be fit, and Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of IPL 2020 due to injury.
SRH need to get their IPL 2020 campaign back on track immediately, and David Warner needs a turnaround in his captaincy as well.