RCB captain 2022: The SportsRush presents a few potential player options for the franchise’s captaincy post ahead of IPL 2022 mega auction.
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After an action-packed IPL retention event last month, which saw the eight initial franchises brainstorming their way towards deciding upon their retention picks for the new season, a few of them are yet to decide upon a potential skipper who they deem to be fit to lead the side.
While the Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the Rajasthan Royals have have already decided upon their respective captains via the retentions, the two new franchises in Ahmedabad and Lucknow Super Giants have also announced their skippers for their debut season.
This leaves the likes of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, and the Kolkata Knight Riders with a good headache to ace with their choice for a fitting skipper.
As for the RCB, their longest serving skipper Virat Kohli had decided to step down as their captain after the end of IPL 2021. But, with the franchise deciding to retain Glenn Maxwell, the Aussie T20 star is perhaps the next best suited option to lead the franchise going forward. Having said that, the management might as well not wish to burden him with the extra responsibility and let him play freely as he successfully did under Virat Kohli in the previous season.
In such a case, with the franchise yet to win an IPL title in the 14 years of the league’s existence, let’s have a look at the deserving options from the pool of registered players that might turn their fortunes around in the 15th season.
RCB captain 2022
Shreyas Iyer
The one name that is doing the buzz across the social media platforms pertaining the upcoming mega auction is Mumbai and team India middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer.
Iyer is expected to be one of the most expensive buys in the auction given his proven credentials as skipper of the Delhi Capitals during IPL 2019 and 2020. While he led the Capitals into the playoffs in the 2019 season, he backed it up with a maiden IPL final appearance for the franchise a year later.
If RCB think-tank are indeed looking for an Indian face to lead their side, there are very few like Iyer amongst the current crop of players.
David Warner
While Iyer might well be one of most sought Indian players at the auction table, Australia’s opening batter and Sunrisers Hyderabad’s former skipper David Warner will definitely be one of the Overseas faces the 10 franchises would like to have in their squad.
RCB would not only be assured of a tried and tested opening batter in the T20 format, but also an experienced campaigner who is more than just capable to lead the team, having already lifted the title once for an IPL franchise before.
Moreover, as far as his batting is concerned, the Southpaw is the highest overseas run-scorer in the league’s history and is placed fifth in the all time highest run-getters list. As far as his form in T20 cricket is concerned, the entire world was witness to his batting prowess during the ICC T20 World Cup in UAE last year, where he ended as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament.
Ravichandran Ashwin
Having last played a T20I for India in July 2017, Ravichandran Ashwin’s dramatic return to the Indian limited Overs side after four years is a beautiful comeback story in itself.
Moreover, with nearly 50 T20Is and 167 IPL matches under his name, coupled with the experience of leading an IPL team (Punjab Kings) before, for a franchise looking for a bankable captaincy option and a maiden photo finish, there wouldn’t be many players akin Ashwin’s caliber available in the Cricketing fraternity presently.
Shikhar Dhawan
Apart from David Warner, former Delhi Capitals’ opening batter Shikhar Dhawan is yet another player with loads of experience, who can turn the fortunes for RCB in the 15th edition of the league.
Dhawan has been one of the consistent performers in the IPL over the years. He scored runs in excess of 500 in each of the previous three seasons he played for the Delhi Capitals. While he ended as the second-highest run scorer in IPL 2020, he ended as Capitals’ highest run-getter during the previous season with 587 runs at an average of 39.13.
Partnering alongside Virat Kohli, with whom the Southpaw shares a pretty good rapport with, Dhawan might prove to be a perfect steal for the RCB at the auction table.
Jason Holder
The facet of the game where RCB have struggled over the years is a solid lower-middle order batting option; a player who has the ability to play a cameo to propel the team’s score batting first, or allow the top order batters to play with a bit more freedom whist a chase is on.
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Jason Holder’s services in this regard not only makes him a permanent player in the eleven, but also a perfect captaincy option who can also bowl well, especially with the new, swinging ball upfront.
Talking of experience as skipper, the 30-year-old has captained West Indies in 37 Tests, 86 ODIs and three T20Is, and has also led the Barbados Royals in the Carribean Premier League before.
