IPL 2022: Ranking the captains this season
The IPL 2022 saw a new team walk away with silverware. Hardik Pandya and the Gujarat Titans (GT) pipped the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a low-scoring contest on May 29 in their debut season.
They are now one of the few teams other than the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Chennai Super Kings (CKS) to have won the title.
This edition was also the first time that seven of the ten teams have seen new leaders spearheading the sides, with the new skipper at the helm lifting the coveted prize. On that note, we grade the captains based on how they have fared* in IPL 2022
Note: The rankings (rated to 10) are based purely on strategy and acumen, performance with the bat, and experience levels of the players who have led the side — from novice to veteran.
#1 Hardik Pandya: 9/10 | Gujarat Titans (IPL 2022 winners)
As a player who was touted as India's next big all-rounder, Hardik Pandya has done little in the last couple of editions before IPL 2022 where he led the new franchise on the block. He was drafted for ₹15 crore and justified the price tag by leading them to their maiden title in their first outing.
Competing against his former skippers (both IPL and the national side), Pandya led the team admirably with the bat. He was their leading run-scorer with 483 runs from 16 matches at an average of 44.27 and a strike rate of 131.26 that included four half-centuries.
Aided by Gary Kirsten and Ashish Nehra, Pandya nailed the playing XI while amping up his game by batting up the order. His eight wickets from 15 games also show that he's now fit enough to bowl when he dons the Indian blue against South Africa.
#2 KL Rahul: 8/10 | Lucknow Super Giants
KL Rahul led from the front with the willow for the third time in a row while wearing the captain's hat. While the 600+ runs he made as Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper didn't translate to a top-four finish, he took the new boys LSG to third in the table.
His new side, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), made the IPL 2022 playoffs before the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) put an end to their impressive campaign. Like Pandya, Rahul received some rich support from the management staff in his first stint as Lucknow's captain.
Perhaps the bigger challenge was leading one of the strongest sides on paper, especially when they faltered, and the Karnataka batter did so by putting in some quality performances of his own.
#3 Sanju Samson: 7.5/10 | Rajasthan Royals
Sanju Samson reposed the faith that the franchise placed in him by leading the Rajasthan Royals to the IPL 2022 final — their first after their win in 2008. The team last made their playoff run in 2018.
This time, they were buoyed by Jos Buttler, who had one of the best IPL seasons of his career, with 863 runs from 17 matches. Samson was the team's second-highest run-scorer for the team with 458 runs. He was clinical with the gloves and also managed his resources well
With the Royals retaining two openers and roping in Devdutt Padikkal, Samson's biggest challenge was to marshal the top four, which he did by acting as a bridge between the openers and Padikkal. While he may have missed a trick or two in the mid-stages of IPL 2022, his captaincy was on point, boding well for the Royals.
#4 Faf du Plessis: 7/10 | Royal Challengers Bangalore
While the former South African skipper deserves full marks for being tactical and precise as the new skipper of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), his average performance with the bat cost him a couple of points.
Faf du Plessis was the new RCB skipper in IPL 2022 after the franchise roped him in for ₹7 crore, and the move saw the new-look side play a different brand of cricket. Du Plessis' strategic acumen was a blessing for the side, although his returns with the bat weren't as good as they were during his Chennai days.
The 37-year-old notched up 468 runs from 16 matches to finish as RCB's leading run-scorer in IPL 2022, and will hope next season will see more runs.
#5 Rishabh Pant: 5/10 | Delhi Capitals
Poised to make the IPL 2022 playoffs, Rishabh Pant and his Delhi Capitals were favorites heading into their final league match against Mumbai. However, they were ousted after Tim David and Tilak Varma pulled away to give the side a win.
Pant's decisions, though forgivable, did cost them a slot in the postseason. While the last couple of editions can be looked at as a learning curve, the swashbuckling and promising skipper will be the cynosure of all eyes next season.
As far as his individual performances go, Pant was his usual self, clobbering boundaries for 340 runs. He will look for more consistency as he gears up for 2023.
#6 Mayank Agarwal: 5/10 | Punjab Kings
Mayank Agarwal stood in as PBKS skipper in IPL 2021 when KL Rahul's appendicitis ruled him out for a game. They may have lost to the Capitals then, but Agarwal's unbeaten 99* meant potential and a clear, mature mindset to lead the outfit.
It wasn't a rosy IPL 2022 despite a stellar start against RCB, as Punjab had a sine wave-like tournament. Despite his struggles with the bat, Agarwal's men made a run for the playoffs but were halted by teams who figured out how to counter their powerful middle order.
#7 Shreyas Iyer: 5/10 | Kolkata Knight Riders
Like Pant and Agarwal, Shreyas Iyer came in with the tag of a promising young leader — one that did definitely show shades of what he could do when things went right.
Iyer's biggest challenge was nailing the side's opening combination that caused them quite the headache. While the middle order looked formidable, their inability to close out games in crunch situations cost them dear.
However, there are a bunch of positives to take away. Iyer's captaincy is built around offense — a quality that is reminiscent of Virat Kohli's captaincy. Should he score more than the 401 runs he did in IPL 2022, Kolkata will be better placed next season.
#8 Kane Williamson: 4.5/10 | Sunrisers Hyderabad
As difficult as it is to swallow, Kane Williamson's low score stems purely from the fact that he could have done better with the bat. While the side was always bowling-heavy, the onus was on the Kiwi skipper to deliver with the bat. However, he endured what was a below-par season with just 216 runs to show.
The season can be looked at as a learning, especially since it's his first time as a full-time leader of a side filled with potential. The side have shown that they can hold their own but are heavily dependent on Williamson and that will be their challenge heading into the next tournament.
#9 Ravindra Jadeja/ MS Dhoni: 4/10 | Chennai Super Kings
The conundrum when it came to ranking CSK was the fact that they switched skippers midway. With Ravindra Jadeja handing the reins back to Dhoni in IPL 2022 after a losing streak, it was a little too late for the latter to salvage what was left of it.
Jadeja and Dhoni had pretty average outings with the bat, notching up 116 and 232 runs respectively. Like SRH, Chennai have unearthed some talent in their rebuilding phase and that could make them solid contenders next time.
#10 Rohit Sharma: 4/10 | Mumbai Indians
This could stir up an argument, but the Mumbai Indians and their skipper had a forgetful IPL 2022. Losing 10 games was something no one saw coming.
Rohit Sharma's decision to drop Tim David and Dewald Brevis in the middle stages of the marquee tournament backfired considering the promise they came in with. While David proved he could fill Pollard's shoes, Brevis gave a glimpse of his fine hitting abilities.
The captain's form was a cause for concern as he failed to notch up a single half-century in all the games he played. He finished with 268 runs from 14 matches.