IPL is the biggest T20 franchise league in the world. The league played every year between 10 teams. There are teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore, led by the same captain, i.e. Virat Kohli, from their maiden year. MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings for many years. Recently, Ravindra Jadeja was made the captain of the four times title-winning franchise. On the other hand, teams like Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab, and Rajasthan Royals have changed their captains multiple times.
Here is the list of 5 IPL captains who got dropped from the captaincy right before the auction.
1. George Bailey
Australian batter George Bailey led KXI Punjab in 2014, and the team performed exceptionally under his helm. However, in 2015, while Bailey was still the captain of KXIP, the team showed a poor performance leading which the franchise released him before the 2016 auction. Ever since then, the Punjab team is still hoping for its revival, and George Bailey’s IPL career has also become insignificant.
2. Glenn Maxwell
The Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell led KXI Punjab in 2017, where the team finished with seven wins and seven losses. The team could not qualify for the playoffs, and thus, Maxwell, who was struggling to get his form back, was released by the franchise before the 2018 auction.
3. Adam Gilchrist
The former Australian cricketer, Adam Gilchrist, was leading the team Deccan Chargers in its maiden year, where the team finished at the last spot. However, in the 2nd year of the league, under Gilchrist’s captaincy, Deccan Chargers won the 2009 title but struggled to perform in the 2010 season, due to which he was dropped from the franchise.
4. Gautam Gambhir
The former Indian batter, Gautam Gambhir, is one of the most successful IPL captains. Delhi Daredevils won the title in the maiden year of the league under his captaincy. Later he became the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders, and under his captaincy, the team lifted the title twice in 2012 and 2014. The team was playing consistently well under his captaincy. Thus, it shocked everyone when he was released by the franchise in 2017.
5. Steve Smith
The Australian star batter, Steve Smith, is a test expert. However, he led Pune Supergiants in 2017, and the team made way to the tournament finals. However, the same could not continue for Rajasthan Royals while he was the team captain. Due to this, Smith was released by the franchise in 2021, and Sanju Samson was made the new skipper of RR.