As the IPL 2025 season approaches, speculation about the potential captains for each team is heating up. While official announcements are yet to be made, several players are seen as likely candidates based on their leadership experience, current form, and influence within their respective franchises. Teams like Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Delhi Capitals are expected to stick with their established leaders, while other franchises may opt for a new face at the helm. Keep an eye on the developments as the season draws near for more updates on IPL 2025’s potential captains.

Defending champions KKR will begin IPL 2025 with a new captain at the helm.

IPL 2025: Potential Captains for Each Team

The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to begin on March 14, 2025, with the final scheduled for May 25. As with the previous three seasons, IPL 2025 will feature 74 matches.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) enter as the defending champions after securing their third title in IPL 2024. However, they will have a new captain for the upcoming season, as Shreyas Iyer, who led them to victory, parted ways with the franchise and was picked up by another team during the mega auction.

KKR isn’t the only franchise undergoing a change in leadership. While five teams are expected to retain their captains from the previous season, five others are likely to introduce a new skipper for IPL 2025.

List of teams and their likely captains

Sunrisers Hyderabad – Pat Cummins

After failing to reach the playoffs for three consecutive seasons from IPL 2021 to 2023, SRH made a bold move in the IPL 2024 mini-auction, spending INR 20.50 crores to acquire ICC Cricket World Cup 2023-winning captain Pat Cummins. They also handed him the leadership role.

Cummins instilled a culture of security and fearlessness in the SRH batting lineup, which went on to dominate IPL 2024, breaking several batting records.

Under his leadership, SRH finished second in the points table and made it to the final, where they were defeated by KKR. Cummins is expected to continue as SRH’s captain for IPL 2025.

Rajasthan Royals – Sanju Samson

Under Sanju Samson’s leadership, Rajasthan Royals finished as runners-up in IPL 2022 and narrowly missed out on the IPL 2024 final, ending third in the points table. Despite an impressive start last season, where RR topped the table halfway through, their campaign faltered in the second half. With his own India career on the rise, Samson will be aiming to lead RR to their second IPL title in 2025.

Chennai Super Kings – Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad took over as CSK captain ahead of IPL 2024, following MS Dhoni’s decision to pass on the leadership. Despite a strong start, CSK fell just short of the playoffs after a heartbreaking loss to RCB in their final league match, with RCB advancing on a better net run rate. In his second season as captain, Gaikwad will look to steer CSK back to their winning ways.

Gujarat Titans – Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill’s debut season as Gujarat Titans’ captain in IPL 2024 was a challenging one, with the Titans finishing eighth on the points table. However, with five wins out of 14 matches, Gill gained valuable experience in leadership. Now a more seasoned captain, Gill will be expected to lead GT to a playoff finish in IPL 2025, bolstered by a strong squad after the mega auction.

Mumbai Indians – Hardik Pandya

Mumbai Indians made a bold move by bringing Hardik Pandya in from Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. However, Pandya’s debut season as MI’s captain didn’t go as planned, with the five-time champions finishing at the bottom of the table. Despite this, the MI management has retained their faith in Pandya, who will lead the team again in IPL 2025. With the pressure mounting, particularly with the presence of Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, Pandya will need to deliver results this season.