IPL 2018: 5 teams with more than one international captain in their side

A captain must make every decision before he knows what its effect will be, and he must carry the full responsibility, not whether his decision will be right or wrong, but whether it brings success.” - Don Bradman

This statement by Sir Don Bradman clearly defines the abilities a captain must possess. Captaincy, like coaching, varies significantly depending on the team and the level the team plays at. Many times in the history of cricket we have seen teams winning the game because of the captain's strategies and how he takes decisions during the game.

The captain generally seeks to influence and control the game.Thus, having multiple thinking brains in the same team strengthens this controlling power, especially in T20 cricket.

We all know that a T20 game can change in a ball or two and thus it requires a player of great temperament to lead the side. The captain becomes the most important asset in such a scenario.

The IPL history tells us something similar. The teams that have won the title were always led by a great leader. Shane Warne led the Rajasthan Royals to the victory in the very first edition of the IPL. He bound the team together and proved how good a leader he was.

Now every IPL team lays a great importance in choosing a captain. Several teams have bagged players who can lead their side in the absence of their regular captain. This step has made the core of the team stronger as more players can contribute to the game with their individual thinking and understanding.

Yes, it is the decision of the captain that counts at the end, but it doesn't hurt for the captain as well to get other's perspective. Here are the 5 teams in this year's IPL that have got more than one player who has captained their international side.

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#5 Kings XI Punjab

Ravichandran Ashwin will be leading Punjab's side this year. Although he has never led the Indian national side ever, he has had the experience of leading his state team. Nevertheless, he has the support from the players who have captained their international sides.

Aaron Finch has the experience of leading the Australian T20I side. He will be definitely of great help to Ashwin. The team has the likes of Chris Gayle and Yuvraj Singh who would come handy with their understanding of this particular format.

David Miller, one of the most explosive batsmen in the KXIP squad has led the Punjab side in the past as well.

#4 Sunrisers Hyderabad

David Warner was retained by the Sunrisers Hyderabad this year and chosen to lead the team. The explosive batsman from Australia had led the team to win its first-ever IPL title in 2016. The management too has shown a great belief in him and his captaincy.

Kane Williamson was again picked up by SRH. Although he has been in and out of the team very often, one cannot play down his captaincy skills. He leads New Zealand team in all the three formats of the game and will be of great support to Warner and the team with his cricketing brain.

Also, the Hyderabad team have Shakib Al Hasan, Shikhar Dhawan, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar who possess a great understanding of the game.

#3 Mumbai Indians

Rohit Sharma has been one of the most successful captains in the IPL history. The Mumbai Indians have bagged three IPL title wins under his captaincy. The hitman has also captained the Indian National team quite a few times and is also the vice-captain of the ODI team.

Jean-Paul Duminy has been a great purchase for the Mumbai-based franchise. The South African batsman has led his national side many times now and has also captained the Delhi Daredevils in the past.

Apart from these two, Kieron Pollard also has the experience of leading a side.

#2 Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings will be making a comeback after serving a two-year ban. The team will yet again look to dominate the tournament, and earn back its lost glory.

MS Dhoni will be the most important player for unifying the team. He has captained CSK from IPL's very first season. He has a great track record of captaining the Indian National team as well.

Faf du Plessis has been South Africa's Test captain for quite a while now. He has impressed everyone with his captaincy skills and is going to play a crucial role in assisting Dhoni during this year's IPL.

The CSK squad have Shane Watson, Dwayne Brave, and Suresh Raina, who have had some experience as the leader of a team.

#2 Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB's performances have never done justice with the quality of players they have had.

Virat Kohli had made all the difference in 2016 and in the upcoming season as well, he will have to perform in order to lead his side to the title. He is now representing the Indian Cricket Team in all the three formats as well and has been able to achieve great feats early in his captaincy career.

AB de Villiers is another great player that RCB have retained. He has the experience of leading the South African team. In the past seasons of IPL, we have seen Kohli reaching out to ABD during the tense situation in the game.

This year, the Bangalore franchise has purchased Brendon McCullum who had led the Kiwi team during his international career. He is known for his aggressive thought process and will be of great help to Kohli.