IPL 9 Captain Analysis - From Dhoni to Raina, which captain will lead his team to glory?

1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Rising Pune Supergiants) as captain (Matches 129, Won 78, Lost 50, No Result 1, Win Percentage 60.93)

After eight successful years with CSK, the Indian limited-overs skipper has changed his jersey for the first time and will be seen in the purple and blue of Pune. With two titles, four runners-up positions and eight last four spots, Dhoni and CSK are the best captain-team duo in the IPL.

However, Dhoni has been surpassed on the Win % list by Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma, since he took over in 2013, although Dhoni, to his credit, has captained 129 times in the IPL – almost thrice the times Sharma has.

As a player

Captain Cool has a brilliant record scoring 2,986 runs at an average of 39.28 and at a strike rate of 139.27. Dhoni is seventh in the all-time run-scorers list even after coming in at No.4 and 5 most of the time.

Dhoni comes into the IPL on the back of a successful Asia Cup campaign and a semi-final appearance in the T20 WC. Also, batting at No.5 has given the batsman a lot of not outs and a very good average of 89 in the World T20. He has dazzled behind the stumps have also been outstanding with his lightning fast stumpings.

What to expect

A new team will be on show this time around, but that is unlikely to cause Dhoni any troubles with Rising Pune Supergiants having a lot of CSK players.

2. Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata Knight Riders) as captain (Matches 92, Win 53, Lost 38, Tied 1, Win % 58.15%)

The top-scorer for India in the 2007 T20 World Cup moved to KKR in 2011 after a three-year stint at his home franchise Delhi Daredevils. The left-hander then led the Kolkata franchise to their first-ever top four finish that year, before taking them to titles in 2012 and 2014. Gambhir is the second in terms of matches captained experience in the IPL and also has a win percentage of 58.15.

As a player

Gambhir packs a punch by scoring 3133 runs at an average of 29.55 to be fifth in the all-time scorers list. The left-hander also has 26 fifties - the highest number in the IPL.

Gambhir last played for India in any format back in 2014 and has been going through the daily grind of the domestic circuit. In the 2015/16 season under the left-hander’s captaincy, Delhi bowed out of the tournament after finishing fourth in the group stage. Although Delhi reached the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, they once again crashed out in the group stages in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament.

What to expect

After finishing out of the top four last season, Gambhir and co. would be expecting a much better season this time around and have kept faith with most of the players from last season.

3. Suresh Raina (Gujarat Lions) as captain (Matches 3, Win 1, Loss 1, Tied 1, Win % 50.00 %)

New team, new captain. Suresh Raina was understudy to Dhoni at CSK for the last eight seasons. With the Indian limited overs team captain missing very few matches, Raina only managed to captain three times, and it would be unfair to judge the left-hander on that.

As a player

Raina has been an IPL great. He leads the top-scorers list with 3,699 runs at an average of 34.25 and managed to score more than 400 runs every season apart from one. The Uttar Pradesh player also has the distinction of playing all the matches for CSK in all eight seasons, 132 out of 132.

However, Raina comes into IPL 9 in wretched form. The left-hander only managed 41 runs in the five matches in the T20 WC, while scoring 39 in five in the Asia Cup. But the left-hander had a good run as captain at the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, where he led UP to the title.

What to expect

Raina has been a great player in the IPL, and we can once again expect the left-hander to have a good season with the bat. But his captaincy skills will be put to the test with very little experience of captaining in high-pressure situations.

4. Zaheer Khan (Delhi Daredevils) hasn’t captained in IPL yet

The former Indian pacer will lead the new-look Delhi Daredevils side for the season. Although he played for three franchises – Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils – in his IPL career, the veteran pacer is yet to captain a side.

As a player 

Zaheer has played 77 matches in his IPL career taking 82 wickets at an average of 26 and economy rate of 7.53. Hampered by injuries, Zaheer only played seven matches for Delhi Daredevils last season and took seven wickets at an average of 22.28 and an economy-rate of 6.45. The 37-year old retired from International cricket last October and would be guiding a squad packed with youngsters at Delhi.

What to expect

Expecting Zaheer to play 14 matches and bowl four overs every game will be optimistic at best. The veteran pacer is likely to take the role of guiding the team along with Rahul Dravid.

5. Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians) as captain (Matches 44, Won 27, Lost 17, No Result 0, Win% 61.36 %)

Rohit Sharma has captained Mumbai Indians to two IPL titles and is now an MI veteran. His stewardship has brought Mumbai Indians some much-required stability and winning mentality. Boasting of the best winning percentage of all captains, Rohit Sharma has come up leaps and bounds as a leader for a Mumbai side bubbling with confidence and has helped now-regulars Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya settle in and mature under his wing.

As a player

Sharma is the second-highest run scorer in the history of IPL scoring 3,385 runs. Having started with Deccan Chargers and coming in as a middle-order batsman, Rohit’s explosiveness with the bat has seen him move up the batting lineup so much so that he now not only opens the batting for MI but also for the national side. Boasting an average of 32+ at an impressive strike-rate of 131.55, Rohit leads the Mumbai side from the front.

What to expect

Rohit Sharma comes into the IPL after a poor World T20, and this will be the perfect opportunity for the elegant opener to shut up his critics and do what he does best - give the side a perfect start. With a middle-order which bats very deep, Rohit can play fearlessly at the top. Also, smart bowling changes can be expected from the Mumbai man.

6. Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore) as captain (Matches 56, Win 27, Loss 24, Tied 2, NR 3, Win % 52.83%)

Virat Kohli’s captaincy has not done wonders for RCB, with the Bangalore squad having lost almost half the games under him. Having made it to the top-four only once in the last four seasons, Kohli’s captaincy will need to shine if he is to lead the side to its first championship. With match-winners aplenty, how the captain uses the resources at hand, will prove to be the deciding factor. It will also throw light on what fans are to expect once Dhoni passes the T20 captaincy baton to Kohli.

As a player

3,137 runs at an average of 32.67 and a strike rate of 124.93, Virat Kohli has improved tremendously after a slow start to his IPL career. Arguably the best batsman in the world right now, Kohli’s qualities need no introduction. With a batting-friendly Chinnaswammy at his disposal, Kohli will make merry beside bigger hitters Gayle and AB de Villiers.

His recent form has been exceptional as well with 273 runs in the World T20, and his clutch-gene shining out bright throughout the tournament, with excellent chases against Pakistan and Australia. RCB can hope for more of the same.

What to expect

An unleashed beast. That’s what Bengaluru fans will get this season after Virat Kohli’s insane man-of-the-tournament winning world cup outing. The only issue could be that Kohli has literally carried the Indian side for sometime now, and that could bring in fatigue, both mentally and physically.

7. David Miller (Kings XI Punjab) hasn’t captained any IPL team

David Miller replaced the outgoing David Bailey as the captain of the Punjab side this season, but has no previous experience in leading, so it’s difficult to gauge what he will bring to the table. But if his batting and ferocity on the field are anything to go by, he will be an aggressive front-foot leader.

As a player

David Miller has the 7th highest strike rate in the IPL, and not many fans will forget his blistering 101* in 2013 to win the match for the Kings, when all looked lost against RCB. Having joined the IPL party a little in 2012, Miller has taken to the league like fish to water with a batting average of 42.54. The best thing about Miller is he can tackle spin and pace with equal ease and can be extremely poised while chasing a target.

What can we expect

More jaw dropping sixes, more match-changing catches and some aggressive captaincy, that’s what the South African Miller will bring this season. With his partner in crime Maxwell opening the innings, expect M&M to set the house on fire, more often than not.

8. David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) as captain (Matches 16, Won 7, Lost 9, No Result 0, Win Percentage 43.75)

David Warner took on the captaincy cloak in 2013 for the first time and became the permanent captain for the Hyderabad side only last season. Unfortunately, the opener could not inspire the men-in-orange, who missed the playoffs yet again. Warner would like to bring more ideas to the pitch, and sharing the dressing room with Kiwi rival Kane Williamson, who was genius in the T20 WC, will surely help SRH's cause.

As a player

Two centuries, 23 half-centuries and a strike-rate bordering 140, Warner’s playing abilities are up there. The question, however, is whether he will open the innings with Shikhar Dhawan or come down and allow Kane Williamson to take the opening slot. Either way, on a Hyderabad pitch that seams more than most pitches in the country, Warner could be the trump card for SRH as they look to win the trophy for the first time in history.

What to expect

Some devastating shots at the top of the innings and some unbelievable catches at long off and long on are things you will definitely get from the New South Wales player. More sensible captaincy, however, seems a long shot to expect from the 29-year old.