After the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, the next event will happen in 2024. It is a gap of two years and hence, most teams might have a transition to a new era in their respective squad. In line with this, they could have a change in their captains, as well. This means that a few players will be operating as a captain for the one last time in the 2022 T20 WC. On that note, here, we take a look at four players who will play their last T20 World Cup as captain in ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
1) Aaron Finch – Australia
Aaron Finch recently retired from ODI cricket. In T20Is, as well, his form has been poor. In 2021, he struck runs at an average of 28 and a strike rate of 125. So far, in 2022, while the average has increased to 30, the strike rate has dropped to 130. These numbers are not desirable for the opener of the squad. Hence, it won’t be a surprise if Finch quits T20Is also after the T20 WC at home.
Australia is yet to name its new ODI skipper. A lot of players such as Pat Cummins and Steve Smith are in the running to take up the role. The T20I captain could also be the same player.
2) Mohammad Nabi – Afghanistan
Mohammad Nabi is one of the players who will play their last T20 World Cup as captain in ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The Afghan captaincy conundrum has been resolved due to the stability brought by Mohammad Nabi as the skipper. However, the all-rounder himself is not doing well and that could make the management think of an alternative. He is anyways 37 years old and will be 39 by 2024. Hence, it may not be suitable to have him as the skipper in the next edition.
Rashid Khan recently stepped down after being announced as the captain. That said, he seems to be the best choice to take the team forward. The management must somehow convince their star player to become the skipper of the squad.
3) Rohit Sharma – India
Even when Rohit Sharma took over as the captain of the Indian limited-overs team, it was sure that his tenure will end after the 2023 ODI World Cup. Form, fitness and age – all these factors are against Rohit and therefore, it won’t be a surprise if he steps down after the mega-event next year.
India will have a lot of options to choose from for captaincy. However, Hardik Pandya seems to lead the race at the moment. KL Rahul is his closest competitor. Rishabh Pant is yet to crack T20Is and Jasprit Bumrah may not play all games. Hence, these two may not be in consideration.
4) Shakib Al Hasan – Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan is also one of the players who will play their last T20 World Cup as captain in ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Mahmudullah was the captain of the squad for a while but Shakib was announced as the skipper of the team until the end of the 2022 T20 WC. Therefore, it is clear that the team will have a new skipper post the event. Considering his age and form, Shakib might not get to captain the team again.
Bangladesh is not doing well in T20Is. Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal have already quit the format. It is high time that fresh blood is introduced to the squad. The captaincy slot must also be given to someone new and with high potential.
