The 2022 IPL mega auction is going to be very crucial for teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders as they will be in a tight spot to sign a new captain. Out of the 10 IPL franchises, only these three have not named their captain for the upcoming season. Royal Challengers Bangalore were led by Virat Kohli for the past 7 seasons, but last year the former India captain decided to relinquish the captaincy after IPL 2022 in the UAE. RCB retained Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj ahead of the auction but they didn’t announce any of them as the skipper. While Punjab Kings released KL Rahul this season as both parties failed to get on the same page, the flamboyant batter will now lead Lucknow Super Giant next season.
KKR, who were the runner-ups in IPL 2021, decided to part ways with Eoin Morgan after he had an underwhelming show with the bat last season. They have retained Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer and Sunil Narine, but none of them is touted as their next captain.
Here is the list of marquee players who will go under the hammer in the mega auction and has the potential of leading the franchise.
1. Shreyas Iyer
The Indian middle-order batter will be up for grabs in the IPL 2022 auction as he has set his base price for INR 2 crore but it is expected that he is going to break the banks in the mega ceremony. Iyer has led Delhi Capitals in the past and guided them to the final in the 2020 season and all three teams – KKR, RCB and PBKS are expected to engage in a bidding war for the Indian batter. Former cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra also revealed that someone has told him that RCB have kept INR 20 crore for Iyer.
2. David Warner
The veteran Australian opener has a rich experience of leadership in the Indian Premier League for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Warner had a fallout with SRH management last season as two parties decided to part ways ahead of the auction. He led the Hyderabad based franchise to the IPL title in 2016. The 35-year-old might not be a long term prospect as a captain for the franchises but they can look at him for the near future and groom a youngster under him for the future.
3. Quinton de Kock
The Proteas wicketkeeper will be a perfect fit for teams who are in search of a captain, wicketkeeper and opener. De Kock has a decent experience of leadership with the South African team and with his age (29), any team can rely on him for at least the next 5-6 years. The 29-year-old will also be an ideal opening partner for the three IPL franchises -KKR, RCB and PBKS. The signing of De Kock will solve several problems for the franchises as they will get an opener, wicketkeeper and a leader in one player.
4. Pat Cummins
Cummins is undoubtedly one of the best pacers of this generation and he adds a lot of value to any team with his rich experience. The Aussie Test captain was bought by KKR for a whopping INR 15.5 crore in IPL 2021 auction. He failed to justify the price tag but the KKR coaching staff backed him and rated it as a successful signing. The 28-year-old can easily become the leader of any pace unit and can be considered as a potential option for captaincy as he started his Test leadership journey with a historic Ashes victory earlier this year.
5. Steve Smith
The prolific Australia batter adds a lot of value in the middle-order of any team. Smith provides stability to the middle-order which every team required. In the last couple of years, Smith’s T20 batting abilities have been under scanner but his IPL record speaks highly of himself. In 103 matches, Smith has scored 2485 runs at an average of 34.51 which includes a century and 11 half-centuries. With a tactical brain, he will instantly become a part of the leadership group, his addition will help in the grooming of the young players in the squad. He led the defunct Rising Pune Supergiant to the final of IPL 2017.
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