International Cricket began its journey in 1877. The game was much simpler back then and hardly a thing was flashy about it in those days. It was one dimensional as only Test matches were played and that too without any restriction of time. It took as many as 94 years for cricket to get a new format- One Day Internationals.

Change is the only constant, they say. And they say so for it is true. A new baby was born in 2005 when the world witnessed T20 cricket for the first time. Three years later, a groundbreaking amalgam of cricket and entertainment took shape in the form of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/meaningless-to-expect-a-cricket-calendar-without-the-ipl-jonty-rhodes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Indian Premier League</strong></a>. With skyrocketing hopes in the minds of those who concretized this idea, all eyes were glued to India.

“This is bastardization of cricket”, scoffed cynics. “Forget it, it’s going to fall like ninepins” judged traditionalists. Amidst glorious skepticism and unceasing paranoia, IPL stood on the ground and made its own grammar. A tiny spark becomes uncontrollable fire and so did IPL as it became a household phenomenon in no time.

IPL is indeed a fusion of cricket and entertainment, but of prospects and ventures as well. It established itself as a market of unregulated miscellany. It became a revolution that broke the shackles of geography and injected multiplicity in our veins.  It became a platform for boasting the diverse culture of India. It made a Delhi-born Gambhir the face of Kolkata, a Ranchi-born Dhoni the ‘Thala’ of Chennai, and a Pretoria-born AB de Villiers a Bengaluru local. And most crucially, it became the stage for showcasing young talent.

IPL has come a long way and it is a good time to find out what are the different captains from 2008 doing now-

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-173070" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sachin-Tendulkar-and-Rohit-Sharma.jpg" alt="Sachin Tendulkar talking with teammate Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-173070" class="wp-caption-text">Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo by Subhendu Ghosh/ Hindustan Times via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Owned by India’s largest business conglomerate, Reliance Industries, the franchise of Mumbai Indians was captained by the favorite son of India and the much-acclaimed of “God of Cricket” Sachin Tendulkar. The Master Blaster scored 188 runs at 31.33 in the 7 matches he played in the 2008 edition.

Mumbai Indians failed to confirm a spot in the semi-finals as it lost the race to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) by a point. MI won 7 matches and lost as many to finish at the 5th spot in 8 teams. Tendulkar aggregated 2334 runs in 78 matches averaging 33.83.

After an indescribably illustrious career lasting 24 years and a day, Tendulkar retired from international cricket in November 2013. In February 2014, the legendary batsman was bestowed with the highest civilian honor of India i.e. the Bharat Ratna at an age of only 40, to become the youngest recipient and the first sportsperson ever to receive the revered award. Tendulkar launched his autobiography “Playing It My Way” in the same year.

Sachin has been a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha and has been a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the BCCI. He was inducted in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2019 and has mentored Mumbai Indians after his retirement apart from keeping himself occupied with multiple philanthropist activities and raising social awareness.

He owns the Kerala Blasters, an Indian Super League (ISL) franchise, and has also adopted a village named Puttamraju Kandriga under a rural development program by the Government of India.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-296472" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sourav-Ganguly-4.jpg" alt="Sourav Ganguly" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296472" class="wp-caption-text">Sourav Ganguly. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Kolkata Knight Riders are the franchise owned by Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and her spouse Jay Mehta. Sourav Ganguly captained his hometown side in 2008 and scored 349 runs at 29.08 in 13 innings.

KKR won 6 matches out of 14 to finish 6th in the points tally thereby missing to qualify for the next stage. After playing 3 seasons for KKR, the southpaw went to Pune Warriors India before retiring in 2012. He has 1349 runs at 25.45 in 59 matches.

Ganguly was a member of IPL’s governing council as well as the technical committee and was inducted into the Mudgal Committee meant to investigate the IPL spot-fixing scandal. He took office as the President of Cricket Association Bengal (CAB) from 2015 to 2019 after which he was elected as the President of BCCI and is incumbent. Dada has also served as the President of the Editorial Board with Wisden India. His autobiography “A Century Is Not Enough” was released in 2018.

Post-retirement, he also joined the English commentary panel for Star Sports and was a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of BCCI. He co-owns Atletico De Kolkata, an ISL franchise.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-328467" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-328467" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

Arguably the most popular and unarguably the most successful franchise, CSK is owned by India Cements. The Chennai-based team was led by MS Dhoni in 2008, who is the captain to date. He scored 414 runs at 41.40 in 16 matches and CSK won 8 out 14 matches in the league stage to finish 3rd in the table. They defeated KXIP to face RR in the final of the inaugural edition, where CSK lost by 3 wickets to finish as runner-up.

Dhoni-led ‘Yellow Army’ has featured in as many as 8 finals in 11 seasons (as CSK was suspended for 2016 &amp; 2017) and has won the IPL title thrice.  Dhoni played for the Rising Pune Super Giant during CSK’s suspension and also captained the RPS in 2017 when it finished as runner-up. In 190 matches, Dhoni has 4432 runs at 42.20.

Dhoni has been awarded the third-highest civilian honor i.e. Padma Bhushan in 2018. He was also conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel by the Indian Territorial Army. A biographical film titled “MS Dhoni: The Untold Story” has been released in 2016. MS is the co-owner of the Ranchi Rays, a franchise of Hockey India League (HIL) as well as a football club Chennaiyin FC, an ISL franchise.

The last time MS made an international appearance was the semi-final of ICC World Cup 2019 which India lost to New Zealand. There have been countless speculations and rumors of all sorts ever since about his future, but he has kept his fans hanging in the twilight zone in his typical style.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-296474" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virender-Sehwag-Delhi-Daredevils.jpg" alt="Virender Sehwag Delhi Daredevils" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296474" class="wp-caption-text">Virender Sehwag. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption>

The Delhi-based franchise is jointly owned by the GMR Group and JSW Group. The “Double Ds” were skippered by Virender Sehwag in 2008 and the team secured a semi-final berth by winning 7 encounters out of 14. Captain Viru scored 406 runs at 33.83 in 14 innings, however, his team failed to qualify further.

Owing to an unimpressive run as a captain, Sehwag was replaced with Gautam Gambhir in the third edition, although, he was given the role again the very next season and he continued therefrom until going to Kings XI Punjab in 2014.

IPL 2015 was his last season and by the end of it, he amassed 2728 runs at 27.56 in 104 matches. Sehwag has been a social media sensation given his witty and humorous attitude. From pulling legs to wishing birthdays in a unique style, the “Nawab of Nazafgarh” is still entertaining everyone. Viru has also been a part of the Hindi commentary panel for Star Sports.

The former opener initiated a noble cause in the name of ‘Sehwag International School’, located in Jhajjar, Haryana. The institution functional since 2011 is renowned for excellent infrastructure and aims to impart education keeping sports and extra-curricular activities in mind.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-296473" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/VVS-Laxman-Deccan-Chargers.jpg" alt="VVS Laxman Deccan Chargers" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296473" class="wp-caption-text">VVS Laxman of Deccan Chargers. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Deccan Chargers (now defunct) was owned by the Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited and it was VVS Laxman who led his hometown side in 2008. The team, however, managed to win just 2 games out of 14 and finished last in the tally.

Laxman’s tournament was shortened by an injury and he played only 6 matches scoring 155 runs at 31.00. After featuring for Deccan Chargers for three seasons, the wristy-batsman in 2011 shifted to Kochi Tuskers Kerala (also defunct) in what was his last IPL appearance.

VVS has been conferred the fourth-highest civilian honor of the nation i.e. Padma Shri for his distinguished service and he retired from international cricket in 2012. Alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, he has been a part of the three-membered Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the BCCI. Laxman is at the helm of Sunrisers Hyderabad and has been mentoring them since 2016. He has been working as a cricket analyst and has also commentated for Star Sports in English and Hindi.

Along with wife Sailaja Laxman, VVS started an umbrella organization named “VVS Foundation” in 2012 with an aim to enrich the lives of underprivileged children and the ones belonging to the economically weaker sections of society by educating them. His autobiography named “281 and Beyond” was published in the year 2018, notably deriving its name from a match-saving and career-defining Test knock of 281 runs against Australia at Eden Gardens in 2001.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-248245" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yuvraj-Singh.jpg" alt="Yuvraj Singh" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-248245" class="wp-caption-text">Kings XI Punjab&#8217;s Yuvraj Singh. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

Co-owned by Bollywood actress Preity Zinta and business tycoon Ness Wadia, the Punjab-based IPL franchise was captained by Yuvraj Singh in the inaugural edition. The glitzy left-hander scored 299 runs at 23.00 in 15 matches.

KXIP had a brilliant run under Yuvi as it won 10 out of 14 matches in the league stage to finish 2nd in the points table. However, the team lost to CSK in the semi-finals. He played another season for his home-based franchise before moving to the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in 2011.

Amidst a series of fortunate events in his career, Yuvraj was diagnosed with cancer, but the warrior that he is, he battled and defeated the deadly disease to make a compelling comeback. He was bought by RCB in 2014 edition whereas he represented DD in IPL 2015 before going to SRH for the next two seasons. Yuvraj went back to Punjab in 2018 and played for MI in 2019. He has scored 2750 runs and bagged 36 wickets to his name in 132 matches.

Yuvi started a non-profit organization “YouWeCan”, an extremely noble and philanthropic campaign to empower people, especially children, to battle cancer through awareness, prevention, and early detection. His autobiography “The Test of My Life” was released in 2013 which beautifully summarizes his journey and life full of innumerable ups and downs.

7. Rahul Dravid- Royal Challengers Bangalore

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-187445" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rahul-Dravid.jpg" alt="Rahul Dravid" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-187445" class="wp-caption-text">Rahul Dravid. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The Bangalore-based franchise is owned by United Spirits Limited and was led by “The Wall” Rahul Dravid in the inaugural edition. The right-hander scored 371 runs at 28.53 in 14 matches. Winning just 4 out of 14 matches, RCB had a forgettable season as they finished 7th in 8 teams.

Dravid’s association with RCB lasted for three editions after which he shifted to Rajasthan Royals and finally called it quits in 2013 after accumulating 2174 runs at 28.23 in 89 matches. Post-retirement “Mr. Dependable” mentored Rajasthan Royals and nurtured youngsters immensely under his supervision.

No one should be surprised by the recent crop of Indian players being technically sound as Dravid turned the Head Coach of India ‘A’ and Under-19 team. Indian U19 team won the 2018 World Cup under his guidance and he was also appointed as the overseas batting consultant for the senior Indian team. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2018.

Much like during his days in International cricket, Dravid has been quiet, poised, and composed after his retirement. He has ensured to contribute to Indian cricket by passing on his unmatchable experience and knowledge and tutoring talent at a young age.

Co-owned by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and spouse Raj Kundra, the Rajasthan-based franchise was led and coached by Shane Warne in 2008. Rajasthan Royals had a dream-run as they won 11 out of 14 league matches to finish at the top of the table. Defeating CSK in the finals, Warney led his side to a victorious end. He bagged 19 wickets in the edition, just 3 short of winning the purple cap.

Warne’s stint with RR lasted for 4 years before he retired in 2011 with 57 wickets in 55 matches at an impressive economy of 7.27. Warne also featured for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League. After retiring from all forms of professional sport in 2013, Warne spent a few years away from cricket before joining the commentary panel of Fox Sports in 2018. He was also appointed as the Team Mentor of RR in the same year.

He was inducted in the Cricket Australia’s Hall of Fame in the year 2012, whereas into the ICC Hall of Fame in the next year. Shane Warne started a non-profit organization with the mission of helping underprivileged kids in Australia, however, the organization was shut down following a row of investigations relating to financial controversies. His autobiography titled “No Spin” was released in 2018.

Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman

<p>International Cricket began its journey in 1877. The game was much simpler back then and hardly a thing was flashy about it in those days. It was one dimensional as only Test matches were played and that too without any restriction of time. It took as many as 94 years for cricket to get a new format- One Day Internationals.</p>
<p>Change is the only constant, they say. And they say so for it is true. A new baby was born in 2005 when the world witnessed T20 cricket for the first time. Three years later, a groundbreaking amalgam of cricket and entertainment took shape in the form of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/meaningless-to-expect-a-cricket-calendar-without-the-ipl-jonty-rhodes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Indian Premier League</strong></a>. With skyrocketing hopes in the minds of those who concretized this idea, all eyes were glued to India.</p>
<p>“This is bastardization of cricket”, scoffed cynics. “Forget it, it’s going to fall like ninepins” judged traditionalists. Amidst glorious skepticism and unceasing paranoia, IPL stood on the ground and made its own grammar. A tiny spark becomes uncontrollable fire and so did IPL as it became a household phenomenon in no time.</p>
<p>IPL is indeed a fusion of cricket and entertainment, but of prospects and ventures as well. It established itself as a market of unregulated miscellany. It became a revolution that broke the shackles of geography and injected multiplicity in our veins. &nbsp;It became a platform for boasting the diverse culture of India. It made a Delhi-born Gambhir the face of Kolkata, a Ranchi-born Dhoni the ‘Thala’ of Chennai, and a Pretoria-born AB de Villiers a Bengaluru local. And most crucially, it became the stage for showcasing young talent.</p>
<p>IPL has come a long way and it is a good time to find out what are the different captains from 2008 doing now-</p>
<h3>1. Sachin Tendulkar- Mumbai Indians</h3>
<figure id="attachment_173070" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-173070" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-173070" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sachin-Tendulkar-and-Rohit-Sharma.jpg" alt="Sachin Tendulkar talking with teammate Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-173070" class="wp-caption-text">Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo by Subhendu Ghosh/ Hindustan Times via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Owned by India’s largest business conglomerate, Reliance Industries, the franchise of Mumbai Indians was captained by the favorite son of India and the much-acclaimed of “God of Cricket” Sachin Tendulkar. The Master Blaster scored 188 runs at 31.33 in the 7 matches he played in the 2008 edition.</p>
<p>Mumbai Indians failed to confirm a spot in the semi-finals as it lost the race to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) by a point. MI won 7 matches and lost as many to finish at the 5th spot in 8 teams. Tendulkar aggregated 2334 runs in 78 matches averaging 33.83.</p>
<p>After an indescribably illustrious career lasting 24 years and a day, Tendulkar retired from international cricket in November 2013. In February 2014, the legendary batsman was bestowed with the highest civilian honor of India i.e. the Bharat Ratna at an age of only 40, to become the youngest recipient and the first sportsperson ever to receive the revered award. Tendulkar launched his autobiography “Playing It My Way” in the same year.</p>
<p>Sachin has been a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha and has been a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the BCCI. He was inducted in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2019 and has mentored Mumbai Indians after his retirement apart from keeping himself occupied with multiple philanthropist activities and raising social awareness.</p>
<p>He owns the Kerala Blasters, an Indian Super League (ISL) franchise, and has also adopted a village named Puttamraju Kandriga under a rural development program by the Government of India.</p>
<h3>2. Sourav Ganguly- Kolkata Knight Riders</h3>
<figure id="attachment_296472" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-296472" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-296472" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sourav-Ganguly-4.jpg" alt="Sourav Ganguly" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296472" class="wp-caption-text">Sourav Ganguly. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Kolkata Knight Riders are the franchise owned by Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and her spouse Jay Mehta. Sourav Ganguly captained his hometown side in 2008 and scored 349 runs at 29.08 in 13 innings.</p>
<p>KKR won 6 matches out of 14 to finish 6th in the points tally thereby missing to qualify for the next stage. After playing 3 seasons for KKR, the southpaw went to Pune Warriors India before retiring in 2012. He has 1349 runs at 25.45 in 59 matches.</p>
<p>Ganguly was a member of IPL’s governing council as well as the technical committee and was inducted into the Mudgal Committee meant to investigate the IPL spot-fixing scandal. He took office as the President of Cricket Association Bengal (CAB) from 2015 to 2019 after which he was elected as the President of BCCI and is incumbent. Dada has also served as the President of the Editorial Board with Wisden India. His autobiography “A Century Is Not Enough” was released in 2018.</p>
<p>Post-retirement, he also joined the English commentary panel for Star Sports and was a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of BCCI. He co-owns Atletico De Kolkata, an ISL franchise.</p>
<h3>3. MS Dhoni- Chennai Super Kings</h3>
<figure id="attachment_328467" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-328467" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-328467" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-328467" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Arguably the most popular and unarguably the most successful franchise, CSK is owned by India Cements. The Chennai-based team was led by MS Dhoni in 2008, who is the captain to date. He scored 414 runs at 41.40 in 16 matches and CSK won 8 out 14 matches in the league stage to finish 3rd in the table. They defeated KXIP to face RR in the final of the inaugural edition, where CSK lost by 3 wickets to finish as runner-up.</p>
<p>Dhoni-led ‘Yellow Army’ has featured in as many as 8 finals in 11 seasons (as CSK was suspended for 2016 &amp; 2017) and has won the IPL title thrice. &nbsp;Dhoni played for the Rising Pune Super Giant during CSK’s suspension and also captained the RPS in 2017 when it finished as runner-up. In 190 matches, Dhoni has 4432 runs at 42.20.</p>
<p>Dhoni has been awarded the third-highest civilian honor i.e. Padma Bhushan in 2018. He was also conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel by the Indian Territorial Army. A biographical film titled “MS Dhoni: The Untold Story” has been released in 2016. MS is the co-owner of the Ranchi Rays, a franchise of Hockey India League (HIL) as well as a football club Chennaiyin FC, an ISL franchise.</p>
<p>The last time MS made an international appearance was the semi-final of ICC World Cup 2019 which India lost to New Zealand. There have been countless speculations and rumors of all sorts ever since about his future, but he has kept his fans hanging in the twilight zone in his typical style.</p>
<h3>4. Virender Sehwag- Delhi Daredevils</h3>
<figure id="attachment_296474" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-296474" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-296474" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virender-Sehwag-Delhi-Daredevils.jpg" alt="Virender Sehwag Delhi Daredevils" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296474" class="wp-caption-text">Virender Sehwag. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Delhi-based franchise is jointly owned by the GMR Group and JSW Group. The “Double Ds” were skippered by Virender Sehwag in 2008 and the team secured a semi-final berth by winning 7 encounters out of 14. Captain Viru scored 406 runs at 33.83 in 14 innings, however, his team failed to qualify further.</p>
<p>Owing to an unimpressive run as a captain, Sehwag was replaced with Gautam Gambhir in the third edition, although, he was given the role again the very next season and he continued therefrom until going to Kings XI Punjab in 2014.</p>
<p>IPL 2015 was his last season and by the end of it, he amassed 2728 runs at 27.56 in 104 matches. Sehwag has been a social media sensation given his witty and humorous attitude. From pulling legs to wishing birthdays in a unique style, the “Nawab of Nazafgarh” is still entertaining everyone. Viru has also been a part of the Hindi commentary panel for Star Sports.</p>
<p>The former opener initiated a noble cause in the name of ‘Sehwag International School’, located in Jhajjar, Haryana. The institution functional since 2011 is renowned for excellent infrastructure and aims to impart education keeping sports and extra-curricular activities in mind.</p>
<h3>5. VVS Laxman- Deccan Chargers</h3>
<figure id="attachment_296473" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-296473" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-296473" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/VVS-Laxman-Deccan-Chargers.jpg" alt="VVS Laxman Deccan Chargers" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296473" class="wp-caption-text">VVS Laxman of Deccan Chargers. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Deccan Chargers (now defunct) was owned by the Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited and it was VVS Laxman who led his hometown side in 2008. The team, however, managed to win just 2 games out of 14 and finished last in the tally.</p>
<p>Laxman’s tournament was shortened by an injury and he played only 6 matches scoring 155 runs at 31.00. After featuring for Deccan Chargers for three seasons, the wristy-batsman in 2011 shifted to Kochi Tuskers Kerala (also defunct) in what was his last IPL appearance.</p>
<p>VVS has been conferred the fourth-highest civilian honor of the nation i.e. Padma Shri for his distinguished service and he retired from international cricket in 2012. Alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, he has been a part of the three-membered Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the BCCI. Laxman is at the helm of Sunrisers Hyderabad and has been mentoring them since 2016. He has been working as a cricket analyst and has also commentated for Star Sports in English and Hindi.</p>
<p>Along with wife Sailaja Laxman, VVS started an umbrella organization named “VVS Foundation” in 2012 with an aim to enrich the lives of underprivileged children and the ones belonging to the economically weaker sections of society by educating them. His autobiography named “281 and Beyond” was published in the year 2018, notably deriving its name from a match-saving and career-defining Test knock of 281 runs against Australia at Eden Gardens in 2001.</p>
<h3>6. Yuvraj Singh- Kings XI Punjab</h3>
<figure id="attachment_248245" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-248245" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-248245" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yuvraj-Singh.jpg" alt="Yuvraj Singh" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-248245" class="wp-caption-text">Kings XI Punjab’s Yuvraj Singh. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Co-owned by Bollywood actress Preity Zinta and business tycoon Ness Wadia, the Punjab-based IPL franchise was captained by Yuvraj Singh in the inaugural edition. The glitzy left-hander scored 299 runs at 23.00 in 15 matches.</p>
<p>KXIP had a brilliant run under Yuvi as it won 10 out of 14 matches in the league stage to finish 2nd in the points table. However, the team lost to CSK in the semi-finals. He played another season for his home-based franchise before moving to the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in 2011.</p>
<p>Amidst a series of fortunate events in his career, Yuvraj was diagnosed with cancer, but the warrior that he is, he battled and defeated the deadly disease to make a compelling comeback. He was bought by RCB in 2014 edition whereas he represented DD in IPL 2015 before going to SRH for the next two seasons. Yuvraj went back to Punjab in 2018 and played for MI in 2019. He has scored 2750 runs and bagged 36 wickets to his name in 132 matches.</p>
<p>Yuvi started a non-profit organization “YouWeCan”, an extremely noble and philanthropic campaign to empower people, especially children, to battle cancer through awareness, prevention, and early detection. His autobiography “The Test of My Life” was released in 2013 which beautifully summarizes his journey and life full of innumerable ups and downs.</p>
<h3>7. Rahul Dravid- Royal Challengers Bangalore</h3>
<figure id="attachment_187445" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-187445" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-187445" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rahul-Dravid.jpg" alt="Rahul Dravid" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-187445" class="wp-caption-text">Rahul Dravid. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Bangalore-based franchise is owned by United Spirits Limited and was led by “The Wall” Rahul Dravid in the inaugural edition. The right-hander scored 371 runs at 28.53 in 14 matches. Winning just 4 out of 14 matches, RCB had a forgettable season as they finished 7th in 8 teams.</p>
<p>Dravid’s association with RCB lasted for three editions after which he shifted to Rajasthan Royals and finally called it quits in 2013 after accumulating 2174 runs at 28.23 in 89 matches. Post-retirement “Mr. Dependable” mentored Rajasthan Royals and nurtured youngsters immensely under his supervision.</p>
<p>No one should be surprised by the recent crop of Indian players being technically sound as Dravid turned the Head Coach of India ‘A’ and Under-19 team. Indian U19 team won the 2018 World Cup under his guidance and he was also appointed as the overseas batting consultant for the senior Indian team. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2018.</p>
<p>Much like during his days in International cricket, Dravid has been quiet, poised, and composed after his retirement. He has ensured to contribute to Indian cricket by passing on his unmatchable experience and knowledge and tutoring talent at a young age.</p>
<h3>8. Shane Warne- Rajasthan Royals</h3>
<p>Co-owned by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and spouse Raj Kundra, the Rajasthan-based franchise was led and coached by Shane Warne in 2008. Rajasthan Royals had a dream-run as they won 11 out of 14 league matches to finish at the top of the table. Defeating CSK in the finals, Warney led his side to a victorious end. He bagged 19 wickets in the edition, just 3 short of winning the purple cap.</p>
<p>Warne’s stint with RR lasted for 4 years before he retired in 2011 with 57 wickets in 55 matches at an impressive economy of 7.27. Warne also featured for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League. After retiring from all forms of professional sport in 2013, Warne spent a few years away from cricket before joining the commentary panel of Fox Sports in 2018. He was also appointed as the Team Mentor of RR in the same year.</p>
<p>He was inducted in the Cricket Australia’s Hall of Fame in the year 2012, whereas into the ICC Hall of Fame in the next year. Shane Warne started a non-profit organization with the mission of helping underprivileged kids in Australia, however, the organization was shut down following a row of investigations relating to financial controversies. His autobiography titled “No Spin” was released in 2018.</p>

<p>International Cricket began its journey in 1877. The game was much simpler back then and hardly a thing was flashy about it in those days. It was one dimensional as only Test matches were played and that too without any restriction of time. It took as many as 94 years for cricket to get a new format- One Day Internationals.</p>
<p>Change is the only constant, they say. And they say so for it is true. A new baby was born in 2005 when the world witnessed T20 cricket for the first time. Three years later, a groundbreaking amalgam of cricket and entertainment took shape in the form of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/meaningless-to-expect-a-cricket-calendar-without-the-ipl-jonty-rhodes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Indian Premier League</strong></a>. With skyrocketing hopes in the minds of those who concretized this idea, all eyes were glued to India.</p>
<p>“This is bastardization of cricket”, scoffed cynics. “Forget it, it’s going to fall like ninepins” judged traditionalists. Amidst glorious skepticism and unceasing paranoia, IPL stood on the ground and made its own grammar. A tiny spark becomes uncontrollable fire and so did IPL as it became a household phenomenon in no time.</p>
<p>IPL is indeed a fusion of cricket and entertainment, but of prospects and ventures as well. It established itself as a market of unregulated miscellany. It became a revolution that broke the shackles of geography and injected multiplicity in our veins.  It became a platform for boasting the diverse culture of India. It made a Delhi-born Gambhir the face of Kolkata, a Ranchi-born Dhoni the ‘Thala’ of Chennai, and a Pretoria-born AB de Villiers a Bengaluru local. And most crucially, it became the stage for showcasing young talent.</p>
<p>IPL has come a long way and it is a good time to find out what are the different captains from 2008 doing now-</p>
<h3>1. Sachin Tendulkar- Mumbai Indians</h3>
<figure id="attachment_173070" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-173070" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-173070" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sachin-Tendulkar-and-Rohit-Sharma.jpg" alt="Sachin Tendulkar talking with teammate Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-173070" class="wp-caption-text">Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo by Subhendu Ghosh/ Hindustan Times via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Owned by India’s largest business conglomerate, Reliance Industries, the franchise of Mumbai Indians was captained by the favorite son of India and the much-acclaimed of “God of Cricket” Sachin Tendulkar. The Master Blaster scored 188 runs at 31.33 in the 7 matches he played in the 2008 edition.</p>
<p>Mumbai Indians failed to confirm a spot in the semi-finals as it lost the race to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) by a point. MI won 7 matches and lost as many to finish at the 5th spot in 8 teams. Tendulkar aggregated 2334 runs in 78 matches averaging 33.83.</p>
<p>After an indescribably illustrious career lasting 24 years and a day, Tendulkar retired from international cricket in November 2013. In February 2014, the legendary batsman was bestowed with the highest civilian honor of India i.e. the Bharat Ratna at an age of only 40, to become the youngest recipient and the first sportsperson ever to receive the revered award. Tendulkar launched his autobiography “Playing It My Way” in the same year.</p>
<p>Sachin has been a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha and has been a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the BCCI. He was inducted in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2019 and has mentored Mumbai Indians after his retirement apart from keeping himself occupied with multiple philanthropist activities and raising social awareness.</p>
<p>He owns the Kerala Blasters, an Indian Super League (ISL) franchise, and has also adopted a village named Puttamraju Kandriga under a rural development program by the Government of India.</p>
<h3>2. Sourav Ganguly- Kolkata Knight Riders</h3>
<figure id="attachment_296472" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-296472" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-296472" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sourav-Ganguly-4.jpg" alt="Sourav Ganguly" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296472" class="wp-caption-text">Sourav Ganguly. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Kolkata Knight Riders are the franchise owned by Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and her spouse Jay Mehta. Sourav Ganguly captained his hometown side in 2008 and scored 349 runs at 29.08 in 13 innings.</p>
<p>KKR won 6 matches out of 14 to finish 6th in the points tally thereby missing to qualify for the next stage. After playing 3 seasons for KKR, the southpaw went to Pune Warriors India before retiring in 2012. He has 1349 runs at 25.45 in 59 matches.</p>
<p>Ganguly was a member of IPL’s governing council as well as the technical committee and was inducted into the Mudgal Committee meant to investigate the IPL spot-fixing scandal. He took office as the President of Cricket Association Bengal (CAB) from 2015 to 2019 after which he was elected as the President of BCCI and is incumbent. Dada has also served as the President of the Editorial Board with Wisden India. His autobiography “A Century Is Not Enough” was released in 2018.</p>
<p>Post-retirement, he also joined the English commentary panel for Star Sports and was a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of BCCI. He co-owns Atletico De Kolkata, an ISL franchise.</p>
<h3>3. MS Dhoni- Chennai Super Kings</h3>
<figure id="attachment_328467" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-328467" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-328467" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-328467" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Arguably the most popular and unarguably the most successful franchise, CSK is owned by India Cements. The Chennai-based team was led by MS Dhoni in 2008, who is the captain to date. He scored 414 runs at 41.40 in 16 matches and CSK won 8 out 14 matches in the league stage to finish 3rd in the table. They defeated KXIP to face RR in the final of the inaugural edition, where CSK lost by 3 wickets to finish as runner-up.</p>
<p>Dhoni-led ‘Yellow Army’ has featured in as many as 8 finals in 11 seasons (as CSK was suspended for 2016 &amp; 2017) and has won the IPL title thrice.  Dhoni played for the Rising Pune Super Giant during CSK’s suspension and also captained the RPS in 2017 when it finished as runner-up. In 190 matches, Dhoni has 4432 runs at 42.20.</p>
<p>Dhoni has been awarded the third-highest civilian honor i.e. Padma Bhushan in 2018. He was also conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel by the Indian Territorial Army. A biographical film titled “MS Dhoni: The Untold Story” has been released in 2016. MS is the co-owner of the Ranchi Rays, a franchise of Hockey India League (HIL) as well as a football club Chennaiyin FC, an ISL franchise.</p>
<p>The last time MS made an international appearance was the semi-final of ICC World Cup 2019 which India lost to New Zealand. There have been countless speculations and rumors of all sorts ever since about his future, but he has kept his fans hanging in the twilight zone in his typical style.</p>
<h3>4. Virender Sehwag- Delhi Daredevils</h3>
<figure id="attachment_296474" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-296474" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-296474" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virender-Sehwag-Delhi-Daredevils.jpg" alt="Virender Sehwag Delhi Daredevils" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296474" class="wp-caption-text">Virender Sehwag. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Delhi-based franchise is jointly owned by the GMR Group and JSW Group. The “Double Ds” were skippered by Virender Sehwag in 2008 and the team secured a semi-final berth by winning 7 encounters out of 14. Captain Viru scored 406 runs at 33.83 in 14 innings, however, his team failed to qualify further.</p>
<p>Owing to an unimpressive run as a captain, Sehwag was replaced with Gautam Gambhir in the third edition, although, he was given the role again the very next season and he continued therefrom until going to Kings XI Punjab in 2014.</p>
<p>IPL 2015 was his last season and by the end of it, he amassed 2728 runs at 27.56 in 104 matches. Sehwag has been a social media sensation given his witty and humorous attitude. From pulling legs to wishing birthdays in a unique style, the “Nawab of Nazafgarh” is still entertaining everyone. Viru has also been a part of the Hindi commentary panel for Star Sports.</p>
<p>The former opener initiated a noble cause in the name of ‘Sehwag International School’, located in Jhajjar, Haryana. The institution functional since 2011 is renowned for excellent infrastructure and aims to impart education keeping sports and extra-curricular activities in mind.</p>
<h3>5. VVS Laxman- Deccan Chargers</h3>
<figure id="attachment_296473" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-296473" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-296473" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/VVS-Laxman-Deccan-Chargers.jpg" alt="VVS Laxman Deccan Chargers" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296473" class="wp-caption-text">VVS Laxman of Deccan Chargers. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Deccan Chargers (now defunct) was owned by the Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited and it was VVS Laxman who led his hometown side in 2008. The team, however, managed to win just 2 games out of 14 and finished last in the tally.</p>
<p>Laxman’s tournament was shortened by an injury and he played only 6 matches scoring 155 runs at 31.00. After featuring for Deccan Chargers for three seasons, the wristy-batsman in 2011 shifted to Kochi Tuskers Kerala (also defunct) in what was his last IPL appearance.</p>
<p>VVS has been conferred the fourth-highest civilian honor of the nation i.e. Padma Shri for his distinguished service and he retired from international cricket in 2012. Alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, he has been a part of the three-membered Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the BCCI. Laxman is at the helm of Sunrisers Hyderabad and has been mentoring them since 2016. He has been working as a cricket analyst and has also commentated for Star Sports in English and Hindi.</p>
<p>Along with wife Sailaja Laxman, VVS started an umbrella organization named “VVS Foundation” in 2012 with an aim to enrich the lives of underprivileged children and the ones belonging to the economically weaker sections of society by educating them. His autobiography named “281 and Beyond” was published in the year 2018, notably deriving its name from a match-saving and career-defining Test knock of 281 runs against Australia at Eden Gardens in 2001.</p>
<h3>6. Yuvraj Singh- Kings XI Punjab</h3>
<figure id="attachment_248245" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-248245" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-248245" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yuvraj-Singh.jpg" alt="Yuvraj Singh" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-248245" class="wp-caption-text">Kings XI Punjab&#8217;s Yuvraj Singh. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Co-owned by Bollywood actress Preity Zinta and business tycoon Ness Wadia, the Punjab-based IPL franchise was captained by Yuvraj Singh in the inaugural edition. The glitzy left-hander scored 299 runs at 23.00 in 15 matches.</p>
<p>KXIP had a brilliant run under Yuvi as it won 10 out of 14 matches in the league stage to finish 2nd in the points table. However, the team lost to CSK in the semi-finals. He played another season for his home-based franchise before moving to the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in 2011.</p>
<p>Amidst a series of fortunate events in his career, Yuvraj was diagnosed with cancer, but the warrior that he is, he battled and defeated the deadly disease to make a compelling comeback. He was bought by RCB in 2014 edition whereas he represented DD in IPL 2015 before going to SRH for the next two seasons. Yuvraj went back to Punjab in 2018 and played for MI in 2019. He has scored 2750 runs and bagged 36 wickets to his name in 132 matches.</p>
<p>Yuvi started a non-profit organization “YouWeCan”, an extremely noble and philanthropic campaign to empower people, especially children, to battle cancer through awareness, prevention, and early detection. His autobiography “The Test of My Life” was released in 2013 which beautifully summarizes his journey and life full of innumerable ups and downs.</p>
<h3>7. Rahul Dravid- Royal Challengers Bangalore</h3>
<figure id="attachment_187445" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-187445" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-187445" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rahul-Dravid.jpg" alt="Rahul Dravid" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-187445" class="wp-caption-text">Rahul Dravid. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Bangalore-based franchise is owned by United Spirits Limited and was led by “The Wall” Rahul Dravid in the inaugural edition. The right-hander scored 371 runs at 28.53 in 14 matches. Winning just 4 out of 14 matches, RCB had a forgettable season as they finished 7th in 8 teams.</p>
<p>Dravid’s association with RCB lasted for three editions after which he shifted to Rajasthan Royals and finally called it quits in 2013 after accumulating 2174 runs at 28.23 in 89 matches. Post-retirement “Mr. Dependable” mentored Rajasthan Royals and nurtured youngsters immensely under his supervision.</p>
<p>No one should be surprised by the recent crop of Indian players being technically sound as Dravid turned the Head Coach of India ‘A’ and Under-19 team. Indian U19 team won the 2018 World Cup under his guidance and he was also appointed as the overseas batting consultant for the senior Indian team. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2018.</p>
<p>Much like during his days in International cricket, Dravid has been quiet, poised, and composed after his retirement. He has ensured to contribute to Indian cricket by passing on his unmatchable experience and knowledge and tutoring talent at a young age.</p>
<h3>8. Shane Warne- Rajasthan Royals</h3>
<p>Co-owned by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and spouse Raj Kundra, the Rajasthan-based franchise was led and coached by Shane Warne in 2008. Rajasthan Royals had a dream-run as they won 11 out of 14 league matches to finish at the top of the table. Defeating CSK in the finals, Warney led his side to a victorious end. He bagged 19 wickets in the edition, just 3 short of winning the purple cap.</p>
<p>Warne’s stint with RR lasted for 4 years before he retired in 2011 with 57 wickets in 55 matches at an impressive economy of 7.27. Warne also featured for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League. After retiring from all forms of professional sport in 2013, Warne spent a few years away from cricket before joining the commentary panel of Fox Sports in 2018. He was also appointed as the Team Mentor of RR in the same year.</p>
<p>He was inducted in the Cricket Australia’s Hall of Fame in the year 2012, whereas into the ICC Hall of Fame in the next year. Shane Warne started a non-profit organization with the mission of helping underprivileged kids in Australia, however, the organization was shut down following a row of investigations relating to financial controversies. His autobiography titled “No Spin” was released in 2018.</p>

A tiny spark becomes uncontrollable fire and so did IPL as it became a household phenomenon in no time.

Captains from the IPL 2008 season - Where are they now?

IPL is indeed a fusion of cricket and entertainment, but of prospects and ventures as well. It established itself as a market of unregulated miscellany