IPL Auction 2022: 3 players who must be retained because they are future captaincy material
Apart from being a factory of raw cricketing talent in the batting and bowling departments, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has let young cricketers test out their leadership skills before taking over the reins at a higher level.
Current Indian ODI and Test captain Virat Kohli captained the Royal Challengers Bangalore for quite a few years before succeeding MS Dhoni on the international stage, while Rohit Sharma is now the T20I captain largely due to his title-winning exploits at the helm of five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians.
Others like KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant have captained IPL franchises in the recent past as they attempt to eventually make the jump to lead the Indian team. Having a young Indian captain has become a necessity in any IPL franchise, not only for the good of the national team but also for marketing purposes.
Here are three young players who must be retained by their respective IPL franchises because they are future captaincy material.
#3 Shubman Gill - KKR
The Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) run to the IPL 2021 final was nothing short of extraordinary. They orchestrated an admirable turnaround in the UAE leg of the competition, going on a winning streak before falling to the Chennai Super Kings in the summit clash.
Heading into the IPL 2022 auction, KKR have several players to consider retaining. The superstar all-rounder duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have served the franchise well over the years, and KKR have in turn backed them through thick and thin. Varun Chakravarthy has emerged as a bona fide T20 match-winner, while Venkatesh Iyer took the IPL by storm after opening the batting and sending down a few overs in the UAE leg.
However, captaincy is one issue KKR must address. Eoin Morgan and Brendon McCullum formed a productive partnership but the English skipper's personal form was nothing short of abysmal. It often seemed like Morgan was eating up a valuable overseas slot that could've been filled by someone who could contribute on a regular basis.
KKR have experienced the pitfalls of having an overseas captain and could move towards an Indian option ahead of IPL 2022. Shubman Gill, who is one of the cornerstones of the team, could be among those considered. Gill started IPL 2021 terribly but improved as KKR's revamped batting approach took centrestage and played a series of important knocks towards the business end of the competition.
As someone who has a future with the Indian team, Gill's T20 batting is bound to reach superstar levels soon. It's already been established that he has the smarts to captain an IPL franchise and he could be retained because of the same.
#2 Ishan Kishan - MI
Rohit Sharma is one of the best captains the IPL has ever seen, but he isn't getting any younger. At 34, the Mumbai Indians skipper has only a few years left at the top level and the franchise might soon have to groom a new leader.
Ishan Kishan, who led the India U-19 team to the final of the 2016 World Cup and has captained Jharkhand in domestic cricket, might be the man to take over from Rohit. MI have to choose between Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya for their third Indian retention, and the young southpaw might have the edge because of the same.
Kishan is a proven leader, while both Suryakumar and Hardik don't seem like viable captaincy candidates right now. Although Rohit should lead MI in the foreseeable future, it wouldn't hurt to have someone waiting in the wings, with Kieron Pollard too reaching the twilight of his career.
#1 Ruturaj Gaikwad - CSK
Like MI, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) must usher in a new generation in the IPL. MS Dhoni's captaincy only gets better each year, but his batting form has waned and it's only a matter of time before he decides to hang up the boots.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has emerged as a massive find for CSK, could be groomed to take over from Dhoni, who clearly has faith in the youngster. Leadership seemed to elevate Gaikwad's game in the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as he shone for Maharashtra at the top of the order and his game awareness has been there for all to see in the IPL.
With Ravindra Jadeja having a lot on his plate already, Gaikwad could be CSK's next captain. His batting is enough to warrant being retained, but the classy right-hander could become a complete package for the Men in Yellow.