Captains have a crucial role to play when it comes to cricket. Regardless of their importance as players, the skipper is primarily in charge of picking the playing XI, and his choices on the pitch often impact the outcome of a game. Let's take a look at six captains who could have an impact on the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022.
Six captains who can make an impact in the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup
The 16 captains who will compete in the T20 World Cup 2022 each have a great responsibility, but some of them are better than others. Let's take a closer look at six captains that have the ability to create an effect both through their performance and leadership ability.
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Aaron Finch (Australia)
T20I Inn: 98 | Runs: 3000 | HS: 172 | SR: 144.36 | 100s: 2
Australia won their maiden T20 World Cup under Aaron Finch’s captaincy in 2021 in the UAE. He is Australia’s longest-running captain since 2014. Under his leadership, the Australian men’s T20I side has won 30 matches with a 55.79 percent. Finch is also the country's highest run scorer in the shortest format. He has 3,000 runs to his name with a magnificent 144.36 strike rate. There is no question about Finch’s ability as a leader, and he will surely make a difference as a top order batter during the competition. If things go well, it will be difficult for others to stop Australia from winning back-to-back titles.
Jos Buttler (England)
T20I Inn: 87 | Runs: 2295 | HS: 101* | SR: 143.97 | 100s: 1
Perhaps England’s best-ever white-ball batter is Jos Buttler. He was appointed as the permanent limited-overs captain for the English national side earlier this year. Buttler has yet to flourish as a skipper in the T20 format, winning 6 out of 12 matches. However, captaining the England side is not as complicated as other cricketing nations. The players are well aware of their respective roles and try to perform accordingly on the field. What Buttler needs is to make the right decision on the field and fulfill expectations with the bat. The right-handed batter is more than capable of meeting the English dressing room expectations of winning their second World Cup trophy in the T20 format.
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Rohit Sharma (India)
T20I Inn: 134 | Runs: 3737 | HS: 118 | SR: 140.59 | 100s: 4
The BCCI made the right decision by appointing Rohit Sharma as a permanent captain of Team India across all formats, replacing Virat Kohli earlier this year. The Rohit-led team won six straight bilateral T20I series before their disappointing outing in the Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE. Surely, India will rectify their Asia Cup mistakes during the Twenty20 World Cup as Rohit knows what it takes to win big events. Under his leadership, the Mumbai Indians have won five IPL trophies. Besides, he has the best winning percentage as a T20 captain for India who has led at least 5 matches. Rohit has led India to win 35 matches out of 45 with a 77.77 winning percentage. The coveted top order batter is among the top run-getters in the T20I as well. The Indian side will be hoping Rohit finds his best form during the main event to guide them to win their second trophy.
Babar Azam (Pakistan)
T20I Inn: 84 | Runs: 3140 | HS: 122 | SR: 130.02 | 100s: 2
One of the finest batters of this generation, Pakistan’s Babar Azam will be his side’s main hope in the upcoming T20 format World Cup. The Babar-Rizwan opening pair have scored the bulk of runs in T20Is for Pakistan since last year because their middle-order has become a non-performer in recent times. Babar has led the team very well and was praised by the cricket pundits for guiding his team to the semifinals of the 2021 World Cup. He has some quality bowlers in the squad who have the potential to defend any total. Can Babar inspire Pakistan to lift their second T20 World Cup trophy?
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
T20I Inn: 101 | Runs: 2061 | HS: 84 | SR: 120.52 | 50s: 10 | Wickets: 122 | BBI: 5/20 | Econ: 6.67
The BCB replaced Mahmudullah Riyad with Shakib Al Hasan as T20I captain just before the Asia Cup 2022. Bangladesh didn’t do well in the competition, getting knocked out in the group stage. However, Shakib got some ideas about what should be a good strategy for the T20 World Cup through this competition. As Bangladesh's team has struggled in their recent T20I outings, Shakib has a big job on hand to fix the problems and put up a fighting display against big opponents. The ace all-rounder is known to be a smart cricketer who knows how to fix a problem. Shakib probably has to shoulder extra responsibilities as a player in comparison to other captains of the competition. But Shakib has done it before whenever Bangladesh is in a difficult situation. There is no reason he wouldn’t be able to do it in the forthcoming World Cup in his quest to finish in the top half of the group stage points table.
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Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka)
T20I Inn: 70 | Runs: 1126 | HS: 74* | SR: 118.52 | 50s: 4 | Wickets: 20 | BBI: 3/16 | Econ: 8.13
Dasun Shanaka has been praised for his leadership ability and his performance as a player over the last one year. Shanaka has led Sri Lanka to win 17 matches out of 34. More importantly, he guided the team to win the 2022 Asia Cup Twenty20 in September, the tournament the Lankan side started as a dark horse. This Sri Lankan side will be one of the exciting teams to watch in the coming World Cup as they love to attack the opposition bowlers all the time. Besides, they have some quality spinners and their fast bowlers are impressive too. Shanaka’s decision-making ability on the field is very impressive. Besides, he is the country’s second-highest scorer this year so far, with an impressive 143.49 strike rate. Shanka can dare to dream of lifting another major trophy this year if the Sri Lankan players continue to shine the way they did in the Asia Cup.
Aftermath
The 16-nation T20 World Cup 2022 is scheduled to get underway on October 16 in Australia. Not every country will be aiming to win the tournament. Only five to six teams are anticipated to advance to the finals, where captains will play a crucial role.
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