It has been confirmed that cricket will feature at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. It is a landmark for the game of cricket to feature in the biggest international sports event. The premier stars of the game are likely to be a part of the event. It is still 5 years away but based on how some of the teams are doing now, it might not be a difficult call on who could captain them. On that note, here, we predict the captains of 6 top cricket teams at the 2028 Olympics.
1) India – Shubman Gill
It is a no-brainer that Shubman Gill is likely to captain India within the next few years. He is already a superstar and is further set to occupy the role as the face of the sport.
Let alone 5 years, Gill could be given the mantle within the next one or two years itself. It is important for India to identify a captain quickly so that they can avoid the difficulties that happened recently.
2) England – Sam Curran
England could have Sam Curran as the skipper in the game of cricket at the 2028 Olympics. Sam Curran is a good T20 cricketer and will have a lot of experience by 2028.
He is someone who can lead a side, as well. He has already captained in the IPL and it may not be a long time before he does it for England.
3) Australia – Cameron Green
Australia will have to start their transition period soon. One important aspect will be to quickly identify a young leader for the squad. The likes of Mitchell Marsh are injury-prone and also quite old for a tournament that will happen in 2028.
Cameron Green is slowly becoming an important part of the side. Yes, in the white-ball format, he still has a long way to go. However, if given a different role, probably as an opener, he might strike well for the team. Hence, he is the captaincy pick for this list, as well.
4) Pakistan – Shaheen Afridi
Pakistan has a lot of good young cricketers who have the skills to become a captain in the future. While Babar Azam can still stay in the role, it is unlikely because he would be well over 30 by then.
Shaheen Afridi is likely to be the next T20I skipper of Pakistan. Hence, it is likely that he would stay in the role in 2028, as well.
5) South Africa – Tristan Stubbs
Tristan Stubbs could be the skipper for the South African cricket team at the 2028 Olympics. Aiden Markram is a candidate but it is not sure how his captaincy path would be in five years.
The Proteas do have a lot of youngsters whom they can groom for the future. Tristan Stubbs is one of them. Dewald Brevis is also a candidate but he is yet to cement his place in the side. Hence, at the moment, it appears that Stubbs might be groomed as the future captain.
6) New Zealand – Rachin Ravindra
Most of the New Zealand leaders right now, such as Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee are on the wrong side of their age. The Kiwis must soon find a youngster who can be groomed for the future as the skipper.
Rachin Ravindra is someone who falls into this category. He is calm, skilled and looks to have a good temperament. Hence, he is our pick to lead the Kiwis in the Olympics.
