IPL 2016: Rating the captains of the 8 IPL teams

3. Suresh Raina: Gujarat Lions – 7.5/10

Suresh Raina did exceedingly well in his first stint as a captain of an IPL team

The surprise performers of this IPL seasons were the Gujarat Lions, who, despite being a new franchise did exceedingly well in their maiden season, as they reached the playoffs and finished third. Suresh Raina, IPL’s second highest run-getter and the captain of the Lions had a massive role to play in the success of the side as he scored valuable runs in crucial situations for the team as well as marshalled his troops effectively to make the playoffs in their maiden attempt.

Raina finished as the team’s highest run-scorer this season with 399 runs to his name in from 15 matches at an average of 28.50 and a strike rate of 127.88. The balanced side that they produced within the space of 14 matches during the league stages was a remarkable feat in itself as the likes of Aaron Finch, Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Dhawal Kulkarni, and Praveen Kumar performed decently for the side.

Dwayne Bravo, the Lions’ highest wicket-taker in the tournament, was used judiciously by Raina, as a consequence of which the Caribbean was able to provide the team with breakthroughs when they were needed the most. However, it was also felt that Raina was reluctant when it came to stepping outside the comfort zone and giving other players the opportunities to play whenever one of his trusted comrades failed to do well.

Although Bravo was their most prolific bowler in the tournament, his magic too had faded by the time the tournament reached the business end, and someone like James Faulkner, who warmed the bench for half the season, could have been given another go. Apart from these two, the likes of Dale Steyn and Andrew Tye were also not given enough opportunities to perform and cement their place in the lineup.