IPL 2022: 5 captains who have a point to prove

The 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to be held from March 26 to May 29. The league stage matches will be played across four venues in Mumbai and Pune.

IPL 2022 will kick-off with a rematch of last year's final between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

We will see a few new and some old captains in action during the upcoming IPL, after the IPL mega auction forced some IPL teams to press the restart button.

Two new franchises have also been added to the league – the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Gujarat Titans (GT).

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Leaders who will be under the scanner during IPL 2022

While the likes of Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are established leaders, there are quite a few who will be keen to leave their imprint on the tournament.

Here's a look at five IPL captains who have a point to prove in IPL 2022.

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#5 Rishabh Pant

Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant. Pic: BCCI

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant took over as Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper after Shreyas Iyer got injured ahead of the tournament last year.

DC did rather well in the first half and the think-tank decided to retain Pant as leader for the UAE leg even though Iyer was available. Under Pant, Delhi finished first in the points table but failed to make the finals, losing both the qualifiers.

To his credit, the 24-year-old did well after being given the role under unpredictable circumstances. The challenge will be bigger for Pant this year though.

DC look much weaker on paper compared to last season. The youngster also made a few glaring tactical errors in the playoffs during IPL 2021. Thus, his leadership style will be closely watched.

Check out the IPL Coaches here.

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#4 Faf du Plessis

RCB skipper Faf du Plessis. Pic: RCB

With Virat Kohli having quit the post of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) leader after last season, the franchise have appointed former South African skipper Faf du Plessis as their new captain.

The 37-year-old, who was purchased for ₹7 crore at the auction, will have a big challenge on hand as RCB have never won the IPL despite having some star names.

During IPL 2022, the likes of Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell will play under du Plessis. It remains to be seen how the new captain utilizes his best resources.

There is also a theory doing the rounds that RCB have appointed a short-term captain since du Plessis will turn 38 in July this year. The Proteas cricketer will thus be keen to prove critics wrong.

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#3 Mayank Agarwal

Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal. Pic: BCCI

With KL Rahul moving to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Mayank Agarwal has been appointed Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain.

There were some reports that the role could go to Shikhar Dhawan, who was purchased by Punjab at the mega auction. However, the franchise seem to have decided to reward Agarwal for his consistent performances over the last two seasons.

The 31-year-old has an unenviable task on hand though. PBKS have been one of the most underperforming sides in the IPL over the years. In fact, they haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, when they finished runners-up.

In the last three seasons, they have ended a disappointing sixth. With the likes of Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada and Liam Livingstone, PBKS have a strong team on paper. But can Agarwal get the best out of them?

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#2 KL Rahul

KL Rahul batting in the nets. Pic: LSG

KL Rahul has been one of the most consistent batters in the IPL over the last few seasons. His record in the tournament speaks for itself. He hammered 659 runs in 2018, 593 in 2019, 670 in 2020 and 626 in last year’s IPL season.

However, despite his stunning performances, Punjab could not reach the IPL playoffs in any of the four seasons. Of course, he lacked support from others in the batting, barring Agarwal.

As captain, though, Rahul did not seem very convincing for Punjab in the last two seasons. He looked lost out in the middle during tense circumstances both while batting and in the field.

Question marks were also raised over his captaincy after India lost the matches that he led in during the tour of South Africa. His leadership for LSG will definitely be under the scanner.

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#1 Hardik Pandya

Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya. Pic: Gujarat Titans

Former Mumbai Indians (MI) all-rounder Hardik Pandya will lead one of the two new franchises, Gujarat Titans, in the IPL this time.

The 28-year-old has been named leader on the basis of his reputation as a cricketer and does not have much experience as a captain either at international or domestic level.

There will be additional pressure on Hardik because his personal form will also be judged. The cricketer was dropped from the Indian team following an extended battle with form and fitness issues.

His inability to bowl hurt India at the T20 World Cup. As captain, Hardik will have to lead from the front if he is to inspire a team that looks rather thin on paper.