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The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be held from March 31 to May 28. The season will kick off with a match between defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The T20 will league revert to the home and away format this year, with each team playing seven home and as many away games in the league stage. A total of 70 league games will be played across 12 venues over 52 days. IPL 2023 will have 18 doubleheaders, with the day games starting at 3:30 PM IST and the evening games starting at 07:30 PM IST.
Most franchises have retained their respective captains from the IPL 2023 season. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have named a new leader in Aiden Markram, while Punjab Kings (PBKS) will be led by veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan.
According to reports, David Warner will captain the Delhi Capitals (DC) in Rishabh Pant’s absence. In this feature, we rank the captains of all 10 IPL 2023 franchises.
#1 Mumbai Indians - Rohit Sharma
Under Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians (MI) finished last in IPL 2022. They also failed to make the playoffs the season before that. However, MI remain the most successful franchise in the T20 league, with five title triumphs. Rohit has been at the helm in all five of Mumbai’s wins.
He has transformed the brand into what it is today with his calm and composed leadership style. On a number of occasions, he has also led from the front with the willow.
#2 Chennai Super Kings - MS Dhoni
Like Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings also had a disastrous IPL 2022 season. They finished ninth, just above Mumbai in the points table. However, CSK are the second-most successful franchise in the IPL, having lifted the crown four times, the last of which was in 2021.
MS Dhoni has shepherded the team and has guided youngsters, inspiring a number of them to turn into match-winners. IPL 2023 might be the last time we see Dhoni in the tournament, but his legacy will forever be associated with CSK.
#3 Gujarat Titans - Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya created history during IPL 2022, guiding Gujarat Titans to victory in their maiden season in the T20 league. On paper, GT did not look like a very strong side, but Hardik marshaled his resources really well.
The all-rounder led from the front, scoring 487 runs in 15 matches and eight wickets with his medium pace. Hardik was recalled to the Indian team on the basis of his IPL heroics and has even led the Men in Blue in T20Is rather impressively.
#4 Rajasthan Royals - Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson has been in charge of Rajasthan Royals (RR) since the 2021 season and has transformed the franchise into a strong unit. RR failed to make the playoffs for three successive seasons from 2019 to 2021. Although the Royals finished seventh in 2021, Samson stood out with the bat, scoring 484 in 14 games.
In 2022, Samson guided RR to their first IPL final since 2008. Rajasthan finished runners-up as their skipper delivered again, contributing 458 runs at a strike rate of 146.79.
#5 Royal Challengers Bangalore - Faf du Plessis
Former South African captain Faf du Plessis led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022 after Virat Kohli quit the post. While RCB once again failed to go all the way, they reached the playoffs for the third season in a row.
On a personal level, Du Plessis wasn’t consistent with the bat. Still, he ended up with impressive numbers - 468 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 127.52. Du Plessis will be keen to guide RCB to a title triumph this season.
#6 Delhi Capitals - David Warner
With Pant out due to injury, David Warner is set to lead the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023. The veteran Australian opener had a highly successful run as a leader with Sunrisers Hyderabad until the 2021 season.
In fact, Warner was the standout performer with 848 runs in 17 games when Hyderabad lifted their only title in 2016. The Australian batter impressed for DC with the bat last season. However, having been sacked as SRH captain, he will have to reestablish his credentials as a leader.
#7 Lucknow Super Giants - KL Rahul
KL Rahul led the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to the playoffs in their maiden IPL season in 2022. While Rahul has been constantly among the runs as a leader in the T20 league, his captaincy credentials have always been under the scanner. He scored 616 runs in 15 matches last year as LSG made an impressive IPL debut.
Earlier, Rahul scored over 600 runs while leading Rahul in 2020 and 2021. The 30-year-old has produced sensational numbers with the bat, but as a leader, he seems to lack charisma and tactical acumen.
#8 Sunrisers Hyderabad - Aiden Markram
Aiden Markram recently led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to victory in the inaugural SA20. The South African batting all-rounder led from the front in exceptional fashion. He hammered 366 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 127.97 and also claimed 11 wickets at an average of 14.63 and an economy rate of 6.19.
The aggressive batter did well for SRH with the willow in the IPL 2022 season, scoring 381 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 139.05. He will have a major challenge on his hands as he looks to overturn Hyderabad’s fortunes in the IPL.
#9 Kolkata Knight Riders - Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer was highly impressive as Delhi Capitals skipper until being replaced by Pant following an injury. The elegant batter was purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the IPL 2022 auction and named leader.
The franchise struggled under his captaincy, finishing a disappointing seventh. As a batter, Shreyas was inconsistent, scoring 401 runs in 14 matches at an average of 30.85 and a strike rate of 134.56.
#10 Punjab Kings - Shikhar Dhawan
With Punjab Kings not retaining Mayank Agarwal ahead of the IPL 2023 season, the franchise will have a new captain for the upcoming edition. Veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan has been named the new leader of the franchise.
Dhawan has led India as a stand-in captain in a few limited-overs matches, but his skills as an IPL leader will be under the scanner. He hasn’t been in great form with the willow recently, so Dhawan has a big challenge on hand.
Also Read: 3 reasons why Gerald Coetzee should replace Kyle Jamieson in CSK for IPL 2023
