Delhi Capitals (DC) received a big blow ahead of VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 as their captain Shreyas Iyer might get ruled out of the entire season. The 26-year-old dislocated his shoulder while fielding during India vs England 1st ODI at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Iyer, who visibly was in pain on the ground, was taken for scans, and the results have suggested that surgery may be required. While he has already been ruled out of the ODI series, it is possible that the star batsman would miss the entire IPL 2021 season which gets underway on April 9. IPL 2021: DC Skipper Shreyas Iyer May Undergo Surgery, Likely to Miss Full Season.

In that case, DC would have to handover the captaincy duties to someone else. Iyer has indeed done a fine job since taking over the reins of the side in the middle of the 2018 season. While he took Delhi to the playoffs in 2019, the team qualified for their first-ever finals last season, where they lost to Mumbai Indians. Hence, filling his boots would be a massive task. Fortunately, Delhi have plenty of options for the leadership role if Iyer gets ruled out of the gala tournament. 3 Reasons Why Steve Smith Might Not Get A Single Game in IPL 2021!

Ravichandran Ashwin

The veteran Indian off-spinner is regarded to have one of the sharpest minds in the cricket world, and DC management would be tempted to give him the captaincy role. Ashwin was a regular face in Delhi’s line-up last season and also put up some match-winning performances. Moreover, the talismanic spinner has led Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the past, and his experience would come in handy.

Ajinkya Rahane

Vice-captain of the Indian Test team, Rahane is no alien to the leadership role. Like  Ashwin, Rahane has also led an IPL team in the past, Rajasthan Royals (RR), and wouldn’t mind taking the role once again. Notably, Rahane had warmed the benches the majority of last season. However, with Iyer missing out, the right-handed batsman could occupy the number three slot well. All these factors make Rahane a potent candidate for the DC captain.

Rishabh Pant

Unlike Rahane and Ashwin, Pant doesn’t have a great experience in the captaincy department, but given his recent form, the young dasher might pip the veteran duo. He has been absolutely phenomenal for Team India lately and emerged as one of the finest wicket-keeper batsmen in the world. Pant is an animated character who likes to get involved in the game, and captaincy might bring out the best in him.

Delhi Capitals also have services of some more veterans in Shikhar Dhawan and Steve Smith, but none of the two are likely to get the big responsibility. While Dhawan didn’t do much in his short stint as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain in 2014, Smith, the former Rajasthan Royals captain, had a terrible time as leader last season. Moreover, he’s even unlikely to get a place in the playing XI with slots for the overseas players already filled.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 24, 2021 07:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).