The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is scheduled to start on March 26th. With 2 new teams in battle, the moneyed T20 league is bigger and better. The spotlight is on the new captains, who have been given the responsibility of running teams in the high-pressure league. The latest addition to the list is Ravindra Jadeja, who will take the reins of the successful Chennai Super Kings after MS Dhoni passed the baton.
Alongside Jadeja, the likes of Faf du Plessis (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Mayank Agarwal (Punjab Kings) and Hardik Pandya (Punjab Kings) have a point to prove as they lead their respective teams in IPL 2022.
IPL 2022: full coverage
HARDIK PANDYA, GUJARAT TITANS
Pandya is an experienced all-rounder but has never managed a team in the IPL. How he takes the Gujarat Titans forward in their first IPL season will be crucial as he wants to be back with the Indian team after several months of being absent through injury.
The 28-year-old was bought by the Gujarat Titans for a whopping sum of Rs 15 crore. The team also has high profile talent such as Shubman Gill (Rs 8 crore), Rahul Tewatia (Rs 9 crore) and Lockie Ferguson (Rs 10 crore) at the helm.
Head Coach Ashish Nehra has a daunting task ahead of him to deliver a strong debut IPL campaign for the Gujarat Titans.
FAF DU PLESSIS, ROYAL CHALLENGER BANGALORE
Taking over the captaincy from Virat Kohli, who has been RCB’s skipper for nine years, is no easy task. The South African, who was groomed by MS Dhoni at the Chennai Super Kings, has been signed for Rs 7 crore.
The team also has players such as Glenn Maxwell, who was retained at Rs 11 crore, along with Virat Kohli at Rs 15 crore, and Wanindu Hasaranga and Harshal Patel, who were also bought for big bucks.
Du Plessis recently said he was fortunate to be able to learn from MS Dhoni while at CSK as he could clearly see how his brain worked. This is what the South African said about Virat Kohli:
“Every captain has his strengths. The icing on the cake for me was through my time, I was able to look at these leaders and see their strengths and also find my own way. I think it’s very important to be who you are and complement the things you’ve learned from others with your captaincy.
“I’m lucky to have a group of leaders on the team. Virat has been his country’s captain for an extremely long time. He was a very good leader for Indian cricket and for RCB. The experience, wisdom and knowledge that comes with it is second to none.”
MAYANK AGARWAL, PUNJAB KINGS
The 31-year-old was held at auction by Punjab Kings for Rs 12 crore and this time has received the captain’s armband. Along with coach Anil Kumble, the 2014 IPL finalists are looking to impress at this year’s competition.
Punjab Kings have a team filled with talent across the board. They bought power hitters including Sharukh Khan at Rs 9 crore, Shikhar Dhawan at Rs 8.25 crore, Jonny Bairstow at Rs 6.75 crore and Odean Smith at Rs 6 crore.
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar believes PBKS lack an impactful player in the squad who he believes can make a positive impact on the team.
“Punjab Kings is one of the teams that didn’t manage to win the IPL. I don’t think they have an influential player in their roster this time, but that can also benefit the team. When there are very low expectations , there is very less pressure there and when the pressure is less the players are freer in their approach,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak.
“In that regard, I think Punjab Kings may surprise some. Will they win the trophy? I doubt it. See, this is a T20 format and you have to be on that consistent winning cycle,” he continued.
RAVINDRA JADEJA, CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
MS Dhoni resigned as captain of the Chennai Super Kings just two days before the start of the 2022 IPL, handing them over to Ravindra Jadeja, who has been a permanent member of the four-time champions over the years.
In fact, Jadeja was kept for Rs 16 crore, the highest price range before the mega auction. Dhoni would have made the decision to hand over the reins of the team well before the announcement, knowing that Jadeja, who is at the peak of his career, has what it takes to continue CSK’s success story.
That’s what Jadeja said after taking over the captaincy of CSK.
“I feel good. At the same time, I have big footsteps to fill like Mahi Bhai who has already left a great legacy, so I have to keep going,” said Ravindra Jadeja.
“I don’t have to worry too much because he’s here, so I’ll definitely go to him if I have any questions. He will be my contact, he was and still is today. I’m not too worried. So thank you all for your wishes and love Cheers,” added Jadeja.
“Keep supporting us. Thank you”
This time there are two new franchises in the 15th edition of the Premier competition: Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat TItans. The new teams will have two new captains in KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya with a lot of expectations on their shoulders.
The first game of the IPL 2022 will be between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26th at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
