IPL 2025 Captains Next: Probable Leaders Of All Ten Franchises Ahead Of Upcoming Edition

IPL 2025 captains [Source: @RichKettle07/X.com]

After the two-day IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, cricket fans witnessed some record-breaking moments. From the highest-ever purchase in IPL history to signing the youngest player, the event was full of surprises. A total of 577 players were up for grabs, including 367 Indians and 210 overseas players, as the 10 IPL franchises spent heavily to build their dream squads.

Franchises went all out to secure top Indian stars like Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Venkatesh Iyer, all crossing the ₹20 crore mark. While some teams focused on finding captains for the upcoming season, others strengthened their squads. Here’s a look at who might lead the teams in IPL 2025:

Mumbai Indians:

Mumbai Indians (MI) built a 23-member squad with ₹44.80 crore. Hardik Pandya is expected to continue as captain despite a disappointing season last year when MI finished last. Although his performance as a skipper was underwhelming, his recent T20 form keeps him in the captaincy conversation.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made a surprising move by releasing Shreyas Iyer, their IPL-winning captain. Despite spending ₹23.75 crore on Venkatesh Iyer, the team might hand the captaincy to veteran Ajinkya Rahane, who was bought at his base price of ₹1.5 crore. Rahane’s experience could guide the team through the IPL season.

Chennai Super Kings:

Chennai Super Kings made Ruturaj Gaikwad the captain before the IPL 2024 after MS Dhoni announced Gaikwad as the captain. The team in the previous season failed to enter the playoffs under the captaincy of the Mumbai lad. He is expected to lead the 25-member squad with the help and guidance of the legendary batter MS Dhoni, playing the IPL 2025.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru released Faf du Plessis, being the age one of the factors in his release, with the team yet to claim their maiden trophy. It is expected that Virat Kohli, who left RCB's captaincy in 2021, will likely take over the role and the makeup of the 22-member (19 buys and three retentions) squad.

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Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Sunrisers Hyderabad, the IPL 2024 runners-up, retained key players like Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins, and Abhishek Sharma. Australian all-rounder Pat Cummins is expected to continue as captain, aiming to take the team one step further this season.

Lucknow Super Giants:

Lucknow Super Giants scripted history after buying Rishabh Pant for a whopping 27 Crore; he became the most expensive player in the history of IPL. With such high spending, Rishabh Pant will don the captaincy role after leaving Delhi Capitals.

Rajasthan Royals:

India star wicket-keeper Sanju Samson, who led Rajsthan Royals to the playoffs IPL last season, is set to remain the captain. His leadership and wicket-keeping skills make him a valuable asset for the team.

Punjab Kings:

Punjab Kings spent big on Shreyas Iyer, signing him for ₹26.75 crore. With Shikhar Dhawan retiring after IPL 2024, Iyer is the front-runner to lead the side in the upcoming IPL season.

Gujarat Titans:

Shubman Gill, a key player for Gujarat Titams, is expected to continue as captain. After taking over in IPL 2024 when Hardik Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians, Gill has proven himself as a capable leader.

Delhi Capitals:

Delhi Capitals released their premier batter Rishabh Pant and picked KL Rahul for ₹14 crore on the first day of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Apart from being a wicketkeeper, Rahul is likely to step into the captaincy role. With over 7,500 T20 runs, Rahul’s experience makes him a solid choice for the job.

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