The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday (February 17) announced the schedule for the upcoming IPL 2023 season, which will take place from March 31 to May 28 in the home-and-away format.
While the cash-rich event is still more than a month away, the fans and former cricketers have already started talking about it.
The upcoming IPL will be the 16th edition of the competition. Over the years, two franchises –Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings – have dominated the tournament. While MI have won the IPL title five times under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, CSK have lifted the trophy four times with MS Dhoni at the helm of affairs.
Sharing his views on the two most successful IPL captains, former India opener Virender Sehwag has picked Rohit over Dhoni.
"The numbers tell you everything. See, MS Dhoni had the experience of captaining the Indian team and then he became the captain of the Chennai Super Kings. Rohit Sharma's first captaincy stint was with the Mumbai Indians, and from there, his journey to success began.
"So, that's why he deserves more credit. Much like Sourav Ganguly, who became the captain of the Indian team and tried new and different things. Under his leadership, India became the number one one-day team. That's why my pick is Rohit Sharma," Sehwag told Star Sports during a programme to celebrate 15 years of the IPL.
On the other hand, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh hailed Dhoni as the best skipper of the IPL.
"I will give my vote to Dhoni, because from the very first year, he has played for a single franchise. He has played a huge role in making the franchise successful. The way he has captained his team has been extraordinary. Other captains also have done well and have won the tournament. But I think, overall, my vote will definitely go to Dhoni," said Harbhajan.
"If you look at the trophies -- Rohit Sharma has won five trophies, while MS Dhoni has won four. I have played for both teams. My heart still keeps beating for Mumbai Indians since I have played there for 10 years but those two years at CSK taught me a lot."
