Rating the captains of top 8 teams in T20 World Cup 2020

Leading a team at any level of a sport like cricket is a tough task to execute for anyone. And, when it is a stage like the T20 World Cup, it becomes even more difficult, to manage the players, their performances, and the combinations, all this while, keeping your form in check. It can be really taxing for the players’ mind and can be considered the ultimate litmus test for anyone’s leadership abilities.

A format like T20 is known for its unpredictability and randomness, where a single wrong decision can lead to a loss. So, the duty of the captain to carry the team in the right manner becomes even more important. Both on and off the field, they have to keep their brains working, trying to figure out what the next move should be. And at the same time look for alternatives, just in case things don’t work out.

This often leads to the discovery of leadership tycoons and in some cases, ends up doing some harm to the players’ reputation. So, in attempt to try and figure out, where the captains of the top 8 teams participating in the T20 World Cup stand, here’s a look at their ratings, prior to the start of the tournament:

8. Asghar Afghan (6/10, Afghanistan)

Leading the new entrant into the top 8 roster of the tournament, the Afghanistan cricket team, would be Asgar Afghan. Afghan, is one of the most experienced captains in this list when it comes to the number of matches. Having led the side, in 45 T20 International matches, Afghan’s experience of playing at the highest level could come in handy for his team.

But, the fact that the team itself is relatively new in the highest tier of the sport, could be a problem for him. And, he himself hasn’t been a part of many high voltage tournaments like this before. So, it would be a tough task for him to handle himself and the team at the same time. That too, while playing against global giants like India, Australia and England.

Asgar, even though has a win percentage of 42.22% while being the captain of the team, leading a team of the calibre like Afghanistan at such a big stage, could be an overwhelming experience or him. And, handling himself in tense situations in a tournament like this could be a little too steep a hill to climb for him. But, if he manages to pull it off, he would never have imagined the amount of praise and appreciation he would receive from the cricket community.

7. Lasith Malinga (7/10, Sri Lanka):

A man who is a perfect example of the saying, ‘form is temporary, but class is permanent,’ Lasith Malinga, the captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team, has proven time and again that even with the age playing against him, he has the ability to lead the team and make them win matches, by himself doing pretty well with the ball.

His slingy sidearm action, that has earned him the name of ‘slinga Malinga,’ in the cricketing circles, even at 36 years of age, he has the ability to bowl the opposition out of the match single-handedly and get his team to a victory even in the toughest of situations. His experience also brings in a lot of stability to the relatively young Sri Lankan team. He brings in a lot of talent, experience and mentorship that can be a boon for any team.

Malinga will aim to get his team as deep into the tournament as possible. But, for that to happen, he will have to get his game to the top form and lead the team by example. His prime duty will have to keep the morale of the young minds up at any juncture of the tournament and get them to perform well throughout the tournament if they want to do well.

6. Quinton de Kock (7/10, South Africa)

A relatively inexperienced captain of an inexperienced team, Quinton de Kock will have a lot of work to do, before and during the World T20, where he will be leading the Proteas. De Kock, who also plays the role of the wicket-keeper of the team, will have to deal with almost everything that is going on during the play. And, this would take a lot of brainwork for him, as he has handled the captaincy duties on 7 occasions so far, so he will need some time to settle in.

Adding to all of this will be the problem of the team that gets to pick his final XI from. With AB de Villiers, in talks to be back, he would be a little relieved. But, if he doesn’t, he would be left with a bunch of inexperienced campaigners, without an experienced man around to guide them. The only man around will be Faf du Plessis who doesn’t have a lot of match experience on hand.

Quinton will have a lot to sort out going into the tournament. And, it would be interesting to see how he handles himself and the team through the tournament, especially in the phase where things are not going their way.

5. Babar Azam (7.5/10, Pakistan)

The young and inexperienced captain of the Pakistan Team that will be taking part in the T20 World Cup, Babar Azam, definitely has a tough task at hand, of leading the Pakistan team in this tournament. He has an immense talent of working wonders with the bat, but when it comes to leading a team in a tournament this big, he might have to work on his skills.

At the time of writing, he had been in command of the Pakistan team for only five matches. And, out of those five, the team lost two and won two. This could be the cause of worry for him. And, the management would be worried about the dip in his own performance, which is very much possible, owing to the added pressure, both mental and physical that comes in when an individual is tasked with such a responsibility.

Babar will have to balance out his responsibilities and prioritise his tasks if he wants to get the Pakistan team into the latter stages of the tournament. But, if he fails to do so, the team and he himself would land in big trouble, recovering from which could be a really tough task.

4. Kane Williamson (8/10, New Zealand):

The captain of one of the teams that has been known to uphold the spirit of the game in the toughest situations, Kane Williamson, just like his counterpart from India, will be looking to end his team’s dry run in ICC Tournaments. The Kiwis in recent years have been so close to wins, but have ended with none so far.

In the last two 50-over World Cups, New Zealand has gone into the finals of the tournament and hasn’t been able to lift the trophy. While they were pretty close, to a win the 2019 edition, things did not work out in their favour at the last moment and they lost. But, Williamson being the gentleman he is, kept his cool throughout and went back to doing what he did the best, which is, leading his team to victories.

He will be going into the T20 World Cup, with a solid line up and in all probabilities, a good form on his side, and surely would try to win the cup for his team. Williamson, as always, will look to lead the team by example. It will probably be one of his last big tournaments and he will aim to give his best this time.

3. Aaron Finch (8/10, Australia):

The Vitoria-born explosive opener, Aaron Finch, currently ranked as the third-best T20I batsman in the world, will be leading the Australian Cricket Team in the T20 World Cup. One of the biggest things that he and his men have in their favour is the fact that the tournament, is being conducted in their backyard, Australia.

A better understanding of the pitch and conditions as compared to any other location around the world has hurt no one. And, for an experienced campaigner like Finch, it is nothing but a boon. Given the form that he has been in, he would love to take the same into the big tournament, get his whole team together and make them win the tournament.

The 33-year-old will have the challenge of man-management at hand, which he will have to nail in every match of the tournament. And, if he is able to execute it to perfection, he will have a great chance of leading the Aussies to their first win in ICC Tournaments under his captaincy, helping him prove his worth in the role of the leader.

2. Virat Kohli (8.5/10, India):

One of the biggest names in world cricket at the moment, Virat Kohli, will be leading the Indian team in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. One of the top-ranked batsmen of the world will have added pressure this tournament, because, after he has taken over as the captain of the Indian team, the team hasn’t been able to win any ICC Trophies.

Although Team India, has reached the knock out stages, and even the finals of all the ICC Tournaments, Kohli has led them, the team somehow, in spite of being the favourites, isn’t able to finish games that well. Kohli, himself in the last few months, hasn’t been in the best of his form, and this is evident in his figures. In his last 20 international innings, he hasn’t been able to reach a three-figure score and this must have started to trouble him now.

Before the start of the tournament, he will have to hammer out all the kinks in the armour of the team and his own self and will have to go in with a positive attitude, radiating competitiveness and confidence as he does. And, if everything goes according to plan, it would very well be possible that he gets back with the cup in his hands.

1. Eoin Morgan (9/10, England)

Proud owner of the record of being the first captain of the England cricket team to win an ICC Cricket World Cup, Eoin Morgan will be looking to get the T20 Trophy back home, doubling up the joy of the fans of English cricket. And, for a leader like him, it might not be that difficult of a task to execute in the upcoming edition of the World T20.

He will be entering the tournament as the best leader of them all and will look to motivate his team to make an inspired effort and win the trophy. In the multi-nation tournament, he will be leading a team of some of the biggest names in world cricket at the moment, all of whom have been doing really well over the past few months. He himself has been in good form. In the three T20Is, he has played this year, he has scored more than 50 runs in two of them, which proves the fact.

The only task that he will have to master this tournament will be that of talent management. If he gets the right team combination to play against the right opposition, and at the right venue, there is no doubt that England will be one of the top contenders for the trophy.