IPL 2021: TOP 5 PLAYERS WHO CAN BE CAPTAIN FOR 9TH TEAM IN NEXT SEASON OF IPL 

The 13th edition of Indian Premier League’s (IPL) has just finished and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has started planning for the next season of the tournament. Meanwhile, the much awaited IPL 2020 concluded with the battle between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on November 10.

After the match, MI were crowned for the fifth time as IPL winners. Even with nearly four to five months remaining for the IPL 2021 to kick start, the BCCI is all set to make up for the loss of revenue in 2020-21.

According to an Indian Express report, BCCI are adding a ninth team to the eight-team slot to increase the number of games and the revenue simultaneously. Among the many cities in the country, Ahmedabad is the expected venue keeping the new stadium with the capacity of 1,10,000 spectators in mind.

The IPL 2021 will also lead to a mega auction which was planned to be postponed. The Ahmedabad franchise will target the players which will be released by the other franchise in the mega auction. Below are the five players who can captain the 9th team in IPL 2021:

- Manish Pandey: He is a reliable top-order batsman, who has also been a part of the national team’s set-up for the past few years. He has represented KKR and SRH. Pandey can be one of the prospects for the leadership of the ninth franchise as he has international experience. He also led his team to two consecutive triumphs in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

- Ravichandran Ashwin: Ashwin is another international player who has been a part of Indian Premier League (IPL) for many years. He had earlier played for CSK and KXIP for two editions and then for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2020.

Looking into his team's structure; Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant can be the Indian retention made by DC that will leave Ashwin out and will be beneficial for the ninth IPL team. In IPL 2020 so far, Ashwin has picked up 13 wickets and can be a decent captaincy option.

- Ajinkya Rahane: He is currently India’s vice-captain in Test cricket and has also been a regular member of the side as well. In IPL 2020, he played for Delhi Capitals but wasn’t trusted in all the games as an opener.

Taking this as a chance, Delhi Capitals might release him ahead of the mega auction. He can be a fruitful addition for the ninth IPL team. By just being 32 years of age, he can form the core group for the team for the upcoming three years.

- Kane Williamson: The New Zealand skipper has been an unlucky customer in IPL 2020. Kane, who is known as one of the most composed leaders in cricket can be the best choice for leading a team. As he has been a part of SRH team for a long time but considering the rules of retention in the mega auction, he is expected to go under the hammer.

So keeping Williamson in mind, he can be a sheet anchor and can change his gear if needed. Thus he can be an excellent addition for the ninth franchise.

- Suresh Raina: Last but not the least...it's our very own Mr IPL, Suresh Raina, who is one of the biggest names of IPL history. Looking into his laurels, he is still the second-highest run-getter in the tournament despite not playing the last edition. 

Apart from being a brilliant batsman, he is a reliable captain as well. Raina had led Team India in some games earlier and has also led Gujarat Lions in 2016 and 2017. If Suresh Raina is made captain, he can be extremely valuable with both bat and his leadership skills.

Looking at his age, he is just 34 and can be a part of the team for at least three more years.