ANALYSIS
Follow UsTime is ticking and with just over a fortnight left for the commencement of the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bangalore are the only team who are yet to unveil their captain. But the wait is almost over, with the franchise set to announce the same on March 12th, in a special ‘RCB Unbox’ event in Bangalore. Ahead of the major announcement, which currently remains a mystery, we analyze the pros and cons of each captaincy candidate.
Faf du Plessis
Captaincy Credentials
Has captained South Africa 40 times across 7 years, boasting a win percentage of 61.25%. In all T20s, du Plessis has a win percentage of 55.76%, having captained 79 times between 2012 and 2022.
Pros
One of the most well-respected leaders of the past decade, Faf du Plessis would nearly be the ideal fit for RCB. Not only will he bring to the table bundles of experience, he will also be a very good face for the franchise, due to being an extremely popular figure in the country thanks to his IPL and international exploits. Like Kohli, du Plessis is someone who leads by example - the work he’s done as the skipper of South Africa - across formats - speaks volumes about his capability as a captain. Being fully out of the international scene will also enable him to solely focus on RCB.
Cons
The biggest downside of appointing du Plessis the captain will be his age. The South African will turn 38 in four months’ time, so, if anything, he can only be seen as a very short-tem option. Despite du Plessis being supremely fit for his age, it will be hard for the franchise to exactly know how much he’s got left in the tank. Should his performances fall off a cliff - older players carry the risk of this happening - it will put the franchise in an uncomfortable position.
Glenn Maxwell
Captaincy Credentials
Glenn Maxwell has no experience leading at the international level, but he’s captained 70 times domestically with a win percentage of 53.62%. Predominantly he’s skippered Melbourne Stars, but Maxwell has also captained in the IPL (2017 season, Punjab finished 5th under his leadership).
Pros
For the past decade RCB have been captained by a superstar, and Maxwell leading the side will ensure that the trend continues, thanks to him being one of the biggest names in the sport. Maxwell will also feel like a natural heir to Kohli, having spent the last season under the latter’s leadership, and the Australian already has an existing connection with the fans. He might not have won any silverware, but in the BBL, Maxwell has proven himself to be a very able leader. The 33-year-old, unlike du Plessis, has age on his side, and also crucially has prior experience leading an IPL franchise.
Cons
With Maxwell, availability becomes a huge headache. Unlike du Plessis, he is still very much an active international cricketer, and an IPL-International overlap will result in him missing chunks of games - a scenario that is less than ideal for the franchise. The ‘hit and miss’ nature of his batting also makes him a risky candidate to be handed the leadership.
Dinesh Karthik
Captaincy Credentials
Has been leading sides in T20s since 2007 and has a remarkable record, boasting a 66.0% win percentage. Has prior IPL captaincy experience and is one of the most successful Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy captains. In 2020, Karthik led Tamil Nadu to the SMAT title.
Pros
DK comes with the complete package - he’s a veteran with loads of experience, is crucially an Indian and has a glittering CV as skipper. Having skippered 43 times in the IPL alone, with not too much success, he is someone that will understand what exactly will be needed for an individual to thrive as captain in the IPL. Unlike both Maxwell and du Plessis, Karthik has spent decades captaining local players - he is renowned for his ability to get the best out of young Indian players by managing them effectively.
Cons
Pretty much the same cons as du Plessis. DK will turn 37 later this year, something that rules him out as a long-term candidate. It is also worth debating whether he is the best short-term candidate available at the franchise’s disposal. While Karthik did take KKR to the playoffs once, his overall record as an IPL captain is an unremarkable 50%. His recent record as a batter in the IPL also suggests that his best days might be behind him.
Or could there be a twist in the tale?
Ahead of the second half of IPL 2021, Virat Kohli stepped down as RCB’s skipper, but could there be a twist in the tale? Could Kohli surprise the world by agreeing to lead RCB again? The ex-RCB captain cited workload management as one of the reasons for his resignation, but with him now completely free of national captaincy duties, could Kohli take a u-turn and agree to captain the Reds again? It is a possibility that certainly cannot be ruled out.
