Iyer, Pant and charting the IPL captaincy course

"A captain is as good as his team" is an old adage in cricket.

- Rasesh Mandani

MUMBAI: Yet IPL franchises spend disproportionately on a captaincy candidate. Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer wouldn't have commanded the highest bids in auction history if their franchises Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings hadn't earmarked them as captains.

And this season, they could not be enduring more contrasting fortunes. Under Iyer, the usually underperforming PBKS, with seven wins in 11 matches are a step away from playoffs. The Pant-led LSG have been inconsistent and will need a dramatic turnaround to advance.

It's never an exact science, weighing the impact of captaincy. It's doubly difficult to rank in IPL, where even on-field decisions are constantly lent a helping hand what with the head coach, mentor, data analyst and others jostling to provide instructions, especially during timeouts. We still have teams where owners and senior executives have a say in selection.