Who is the best captain in IPL 2018 ?

By Gaurav Joshi

Halfway through the Indian Premier league and the captains of each of their respective teams has had a major role to play in shaping the form of their sides.   The Indian Down Under ranks the three best captains in the IPL at the mid way point.

  1. Ravichandran Ashwin (Kings XI Punjab)

Ashwin has been striving to lead a team on the big stage for a while now and given the way he has skippered the Kings XI this year, one must admit he should be given the leadership role on more frequent basis.   Firstly, he has utilised the squad and combinations perfectly. He has kept the opposition guessing on the composition of his side by changing and cropping according to the conditions and the opposition. Strategically, he has been willing to go against the grain. He was the first skipper to win the toss and bat despite the chasing teams having all the success in the early part of the season. He has not been afraid to stack his side with spinners and use them at different stages.   Importantly, he has been able to get the best out of Chris Gayle and keep the big Jamaican motivated by inspiring him with some wise words.

  1. Kane Williamson (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

With David Warner missing from the line-up it was predicted by many that the Sunsrisers stood no chance of qualifying for the finals.   But Williamson has been really impressive as a captain. While he might not be as innovative as Ashwin, his ability to rotate his bowlers at the right time is a credit to his cricketing brain.   Three times the Sunrisers have defended a total of below 140, it is largely due to the way Williamson has utilised his bowlers and set the right fields.  The Sunrisers might have a script plan of choking the opposition, but Williamson’s captaincy has ensured they follow the script with perfect planning and execution.   A lot of credit should be given to Williamson for the Sunrisers’ rapid rise to the top.

  1. MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)

The old fox still has plenty of tricks up his sleeves.   Last year he was stripped off the captaincy because the owners felt he kept his cards too close to his chest, but reinstated him as the skipper with Dhoni  once again showing why simplicity can often be the best form of leadership. Strategically, not much has changed and rarely does he deviate from his plans, but at the same time his ability to guide a bowler or batsmen through the tough periods is second to none. Throughout the IPL, he has given designated roles to his players and comes up trumps. Dwayne Bravo has rarely bowled before the 10th over, there have been times people have been calling for Bravo to be promoted in the batting order, but Dhoni has stuck to his guns and with the Super Kings at the top of the ladder, it is fair to say all his decisions thus far have been close to perfect.

 

 

 

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