The Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to become a ten-team tournament from the 2022 season. There will be the inclusion of two new teams – Lucknow and Ahmedabad. The existing eight IPL teams have already revealed the list of retained players ahead of the mega auction. Check Best Players for Captaincy in The New IPL 2022 Teams.
Lucknow and Ahmedabad are given the right to pick three players each from the pool of non-retained players.
Both Lucknow and Ahmedabad IPL franchises will be looking to pick quality players from the pool of the non-retained ones. They would also be looking to secure the signing of their respective captains.
Both Ahmedabad and Lucknow franchises are on the lookout for captaincy candidates who can be picked before the mega auction. They would be used to build the team around them.
Best Players for Captaincy in The New IPL 2022 Teams Lucknow and Ahmedabad
Check out the potential players which could be captains of the new IPL teams.
Potential Candidates for the Captaincy Role
KL Rahul
KL Rahul is one of the favorites to take over as the captain of the Lucknow IPL team. He is reportedly in negotiations with the franchise after leaving Punjab Kings.
Rahul has been offered a deal of 20 crores per year to join the Lucknow team ahead of the season.
One of the best Indian batters in the IPL, Rahul led Punjab for two seasons in 2020 and 2021. He was consistent with the bat on the personal front. Rahul failed to inspire his side to playoffs in both seasons.
He has been one of the best batters in the league and is a great captaincy prospect for the new teams.
Shreyas Iyer
Another Indian star, who has the experience of captaining an IPL team, Shreyas Iyer will also be on the radar of the two new teams for the captaincy role.
Iyer left Delhi Capitals in search of a leadership role after leading the franchise for two and a half seasons. Iyer helped DC make it to their first final in 2020 and was exceptional as a leader.
His stature in the IPL has grown over the years. It won’t be a surprise if an IPL team ropes him in as their new skipper. The Ahmedabad team is considering him to be the captain of their side.
Iyer has plenty of experience behind his back having played 87 matches in IPL. He has 2375 runs to his name at an average of over 31.
David Warner
One of the best overseas batters in the league over the years, David Warner was released by his former team Sunrisers Hyderabad after a fallout during IPL 2021.
Warner was sacked from captaincy midway through the IPL 2021 before being dropped from the playing XI by SRH. He remains the only captain to have led SRH to an IPL title in 2016 and will be a strong captaincy contender for both the new teams as well as some other franchises.
While he has a plethora of experience as a captain, Warner has been a consistent performer as a batter in the IPL.
He has the highest runs among the overseas batters in the history of the league and fifth overall with 5449 runs in 150 games at a stunning average of over 41.
Steven Smith
Steve Smith has not had great campaigns in the IPL in the last few years but he remains an experienced leader who is capable of taking over the captaincy role for a top IPL side.
Smith has led Rising Pune Supergiant and Rajasthan Royals in the past. He has a high experience of being captain as he has been the all-format captain of the Australian Team before the sandpaper gate.
He had led Rising Pune Supergiant to their maiden final in the 2017 season where they lost against Mumbai Indians just by 1 run.
Smith has been part of the IPL since 2012 and the former Australia skipper can be a great leader for any team. He has 2485 runs to his name in 103 IPL matches at an average of over 34.
