The captain of the Delhi Capitals (DC), Shreyas Iyer has been one of the top players in the recent edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for some time now. Hence, when the captaincy of the Delhi franchise came to him in the middle of the 2018 season, his performances have multi-folded with the bat and also showed his capabilities as a skipper.
In the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Shreyas Iyer could have led the franchise for the entire season and the results were much better than anything that Delhi had produced in the better part of the last decade. Under his leadership, Delhi entered the playoffs for the first time in 2019 since the 2012 season. They ended up being the third-ranked side in that tournament. Also, the franchise managed to qualify for the final for the first time in the 13th edition of the IPL.
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In the latest turn of events, it has been revealed that Shreyas Iyer will miss the last two ODI of the ongoing three-match series against England. The reports also stated that he might be missing the notion edition of the IPL 2021 owing to the partial dislocation of his left shoulder. Here are three possible players who can lead the franchise in the upcoming season:
3. Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane’s white-ball career has been on a downfall in the last couple of years or so. His IPL career has also faced a dip since his move to Delhi Capitals last season as he played just nine matches in 2020. After having a mediocre outing in the last season, Rahane traveled to Australia where he led the Indian team to a historic Test series win in Australia in the absence of Virat Kohli.
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With that series win, Ajinkya Rahane proved once again how invaluable he can be as a leader. He also led Rajasthan Royals to the playoffs in the 2018 season. Considering all these points, it does seem that Rahane would be the ideal pick as a captain in the Delhi Capitals line-up. Add to the fact that Rahane was a part of the XI which played the final of the 2020 season. His experience will only enhance Delhi’s unit which consists of some top-quality players.
2. Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant witnessed a rough patch during the IPL season of 2020. However, he is currently going through a purple patch ever since he got a chance to play for India in the Test series in Australia. Since then, everything he has touched has turned into gold. Considering his current mindset and how confident he is right now about his beating and wicket-keeping, it won’t be a bad decision to make him a leader of the Delhi-based franchise.
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As he is also a local boy, one thing is for sure that the Delhi fans would love to see Pant leading the franchise. He has also led Delhi domestic team, which gives him the experience as well. There is no doubt that the southpaw wicketkeeper will also have an advantage in leading the team from behind the stumps. His street smartness might just be the thing Capitals are looking for, in absence of Iyer.
1. Steve Smith
Steve Smith was bought by Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2021 auction for INR 2.2 crores. He led Rajasthan Royals in the 2020 season but later released by the franchise ahead of the upcoming season. There has never been a question raised at Smith’s leadership qualities. The Australian was the captain of his national team until the highly infamous ball-tampering incident took that away from him.
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Since then, he hasn’t led the Australian team but has captained his former IPL team, Rajasthan Royals. Interestingly, Smith has led three teams in the IPL. He had captained now-defunct Pune Warriors India and Rising Pune Supergiant. In the 2017 season, he had led the Supergiant to the final of the IPL. If the situation arises, Smith would be a great option for leading the Capitals.
