Published 17:01 IST, March 3rd 2020
IPL 2020: From MS Dhoni to Virat Kohli, all you need to know about each team's captain
IPL 2020 begins on March 29 and the captains have a major role to play. Some may feel the pressure of expectation while others may relish the opportunity.
The IPL 2020 is set to begin on March 29 and eight teams will battle it out for supremacy to be crowned as the champions of the Indian Premier League with the final game of the season on May 24. The IPL 2020 will be the 13th edition of the grand tournament and it provides another chance for the 8 IPL captains for a shot at glory. The IPL captains comprise of six Indians (MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Dinesh Karthik) and two overseas captains (David Warner and Steve Smith). Read on to know all about the IPL captains before the two-month festivities of the IPL 2020 begin.
IPL 2020: IPL captains
1) MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)
MS Dhoni holds the record for the most number of matches captained for a franchise in IPL history at 174 games. Also known as 'Captain Cool', MS Dhoni is savvy when it comes to extracting the best out of the players at his disposal. One of the MS Dhoni mantras for success is showing trust in his players and consistency in selection for the CSK outfit. Under the leadership and grooming of MS Dhoni, many youngsters have blossomed to represent their countries at an international level. MS Dhoni has a tremendous record of winning 104 and losing only 69 matches as IPL captain with a win percentage of 60.11%. Adding gloss to his incredible record are three IPL titles for CSK.
2) Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)
The holders of the tournament Mumbai Indians asked Rohit Sharma to take over as captain midway through 2013 and that is arguably the best decision made by the franchise. In six seasons, Rohit Sharma has guided the Mumbai Indians to four IPL titles. The 32-year-old has a knack of backing his high-quality players in crunch situations and more often than not they deliver. The most successful out of the IPL captains, Sharma has captained 104 games winning 60 and losing 42 with a win percentage of 58.65%
3) David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
The dynamic Australian opener is set to return as the captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, replacing New Zealand's Kane Williamson. Warner has won the Orange Cap three times and is widely regarded as one of the best IPL captains, winning the title in 2016 after defeating RCB in the final. Although Warner will never lead Australia again, he could well be this generation's Shane Warne, using his leadership skills with excellence for an Indian franchise instead.
4) Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
In over seven and a half years as a captain for RCB, it's surprising that Virat Kohli has not laid his hands on an IPL title. However, the IPL 2020 offers yet another opportunity for Virat Kohli to change that underwhelming statistic. A passionate and vocal leader for the RCB doesn't shy away from hiding emotions on the pitch but Kohli's record as captain is the worst among his other counter-parts. In 110 games as an IPL captain, the 31-year-old has won 49 and lost 55 matches with a win percentage of 47.16%.
5) Steve Smith (Rajasthan Royals)
The Australian run machine Steve Smith will return as captain for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2020. Returning from his two-year ban, Smith will be hoping to mark his return by winning the IPL title for his franchise. Smith's record as captain is among the best with 19 wins from 29 games holding a win percentage of 67.85%.
6) Shreyas Iyer (Delhi Capitals)
The youngest captain of the IPL 2020 has the task of turning the fortunes of the Delhi Capitals. The early signs have been promising as Iyer has won 13 out of his initial 24 matches as captain. Iyer led DC to the playoffs last season.
7) Dinesh Karthik (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Dinesh Karthik has done a decent job as KKR captain but will want more than just reaching the final few stages of IPL 2020. With no title since 2014 for KKR, Karthik has a mission on his hands to lead by example. Karthik has won 17 out of the 36 games as captain.
8) KL Rahul (Kings XI Punjab)
In his first shot at leading a team in the IPL and with no prior experience at his end, it could prove to be a challenging task for KL Rahul in IPL 2020. However, Rahul's experience with the leading India A and at the domestic level may come in handy for the stylish opening batsmen.
Updated 17:01 IST, March 3rd 2020