5 Captains CSK can target in IPL 2022 Mega Auction

In 2008, Chennai Super Kings appointed a dynamic MS Dhoni as their skipper after his heroics in the T20 World Cup in the previous year. Dhoni hasn’t let CSK down by any means, taking them to the playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons.

In 2020, the Super Kings faltered a tad as they failed to qualify for the second round. However, in the 2021 edition, Dhoni and Co were back to being at their very best. When the tournament got suspended, CSK were placed on top of the points table with five wins from their first seven games.

Hence, it can be said that Dhoni’s leadership skills haven’t waned. But bearing in mind that he will turn 40 in July, CSK has to look for a backup. It goes without saying, Dhoni won’t be captaining the Super Kings forever and the team needs a new skipper in the future.

In the article, let’s take a look at five captaincy options for CSK in the IPL 2022 mega auction

1. David Warner

David Warner started his IPL career with the Delhi Daredevils, now Capitals. However, it’s with the Sunrisers Hyderabad that he managed to garner most of his laurels. He is the leading run-scorer in the history of the league among the foreigners, along with 50 half-centuries- the most by any player.

The left-handed batsman has shown his utility, both as a skipper and as a batsman, time and again. Moreover, under his leadership, the Orange Army won the championship for the first time in 2016. Warner has also won the Orange Cap quite a few times and guided his team through to the playoffs.

It goes without saying Warner’s influence has left a positive impact on the Sunrisers team. The Super Kings can benefit from his leadership due to the vast experience he has gained over the years.

2. Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey doesn’t have a lot of experience, leading an IPL team. However, he has performed to expectations while captaining Karnataka in the domestic circuit. The 31-year-old has won a plethora of titles in his career, and the Super Kings might go for him as their new skipper.

As far as batting is concerned, he was the first Indian centurion in the IPL when he played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He also showed his class for the Kolkata Knight Riders where he flourished under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership.

Since 2018, Pandey has been plying his trade for the Sunrisers and has scored a lot of runs. But the right-hander also has had to face criticism for his strike rate. The veteran batter also had to sit out for a couple of matches after which he made his way back into the team.

3. Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav has quite a bit of experience of captaining a team. He has led Mumbai in the domestic circuit and also acted as the vice-captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders. The 30-year-old recently broke into the Indian team and that should give him a whole lot of confidence.

He is one of the major reasons why the Mumbai Indians have won the IPL titles in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Yadav has displayed his prowess, both as an opener and in the middle order. He has the experience of 180 T20 matches in which he has scored nearly 3,900 runs with 21 half-centuries to show for his efforts.

He plays orthodox shots and more often than not, they pay dividends. The Super Kings won’t be making the biggest of blunders by any means if they rope him in and give the captaincy duties.

4. Steve Smith

Steve Smith has captained IPL teams and Australia for many years. He has a responsible head on his shoulders and has the potential to marshal his troops. In 2020, however, under his leadership, the Rajasthan Royals couldn’t make the playoffs.

In fact, they finished at the bottom of the points table and Smith had to face a lot of brickbats. But the fact that he has a smart cricketing brain can’t be denied. In 2021, he played for the Delhi Capitals, led by Rishabh Pant, and got scores in the 30s. He wasn’t a part of the eleven to start with but made his way into the team.

He was able to place the ball into gaps and pick up singles and doubles, along with churning out the boundaries in the hour of need. If the Super Kings can draft him in, then it could well turn out to be a masterstroke for the team.

5. Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan came to the fore in 2016 after India finished as the runners-up in the U19 World Cup in Bangladesh. In the same year, the now-defunct Gujarat Lions handed him a contract. He batted well for the Suresh Raina-led unit after which he moved to the Mumbai Indians in 2018.

Ever since then, his career has seen an upward trend and he has even forayed into the Indian national cricket team. The southpaw is known for his fearless approach and not letting bowling attacks settle into a rhythm. The intent has earned him loads of laurels.

The Dhoni-led CSK may invest in him for their captaincy purpose. The left-hander had led India U19 and has also captained Jharkhand in the domestic circuit. Kishan might change the outlook of any team with his unflinching brand of cricket.