"I think Maxwell was retained by RCB with the view that he's a potential captaincy option" - Daniel Vettori
Former New Zealand player Daniel Vettori believes Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) views Glenn Maxwell as a potential captaincy option. The all-rounder was retained by the franchise along with Virat Kohli and Mohammad Siraj following a splendid 2021 season.
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With Virat Kohli leaving the captaincy post, RCB are one of the few franchises who could be in the hunt for a new captain at the auction. While there are several leadership candidates in the auction pool, Vettori feels that RCB already considers Maxwell a captaincy option. The 33-year-old has been leading his BBL side Melbourne Stars for the last couple of editions.
Speaking on ESPN Cricinfo, Vettori said:
"I think Maxwell was retained with the view that he's a potential captaincy option. He's done a good job with the Melbourne Stars. He's been energetic, he's probably been in a lot of ways similar to Kohli, probably not quite to the same level or enthusiasm. But I think he's definitely a guy who has led from the front."
I'm sure Kohli will have a say in that as well, he's been crucial to the franchise, he'll definitely have some input. That is a viable option for RCB. Mayank would be perfect for Punjab, that just really leaves two teams searching for captains in the auction. KKR are a team that relies heavily on analytics, so they'll want a captain who can fit into that mold," he added.
Vettori notes that form takes precedence over captaincy at times and took the example of KKR's previous campaign. The franchise persisted with their captain despite his poor form with the bat over the course of the entire tournament. It yielded the desired result as the Knight Riders launched an unexpected comeback to reach the final of the tournament.
Admitting that the situation becomes difficult when there is an overseas captain, Vettori added:
"I think form is critical, I think you have to choose the best player and you hope that captaincy comes with that package. You don't need to chase the captain in terms of spending more, just because you see the player like that. The good captains are already sort of taken and we're just arguing over the next round of captains apart from Warner."
David Warner and Shreyas Iyer are arguably the two proven captains available in the auction pool.
"I hope Chahal goes to Ahmedabad" - Daniel Vettori
The former spinner outlined how the franchises would go all out for the Indian players in the first couple of sets. He expects a tight battle for Yuzvendra Chahal and hopes the spinner goes to the Ahmedabad Titans and gets to bowl with big boundaries on either side. Vettori said:
"I think franchises would be aggressive initially for Indian players. There's going to be 10 teams vying for Indian talent. There's going to be players that all 10 teams want. Teams will be aggressive for Chahal. I hope he goes to Ahmedabad because he'll get to bowl with big boundaries finally,"
Yuzvendra Chahal has been part of the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore so far in the IPL. Largely playing for the three-time finalists, Chahal had to bowl at the short boundaries of the Chinnaswamy stadium. Despite the odds being stacked against him, he cracked the code for bowling at the venue and was often Kohli's go-to weapon, whether it be the powerplay or the middle overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal is adjudged the Man of the Match for his bowling figures of 4/49.
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The 31-year-old had an eventful outing in Ahmedabad during the first ODI against West Indies. He was awarded the player of the match award for his spell of 4-49 in what was his 100th ODI