Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in ODIs (Source:@SPORTYVISHAL/X.com)
India is a cricket crazy nation and there is always massive pressure to produce positive results. There are big rewards when the team is winning while there is brutal backlash when the results don't go in favour. So, being an Indian cricketer is not an easy task and leading the side is even tougher.
Over the years, there have been many charismatic leaders who have captained India to great heights, and many of them have gone onto become the legends of the game. However, they also need to be good at handling pressure and that is where Indian Premier League comes into the picture.
Leading the team in IPL can help the cause further and so the players who will be captaining their side in IPL 2025 can be better equipped to handle the pressure of Indian captaincy in future. So, with Indian team on the verge of transition, here are the three IPL captains who can lead India in future.
Shubman Gill
The right-handed batter has already captained India in T20Is against Zimbabwe and is one of the top-contenders to lead India across formats in future. He is one of India's premier batters and is now the captain of Gujarat Titans. He was also India's vice-captain in the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka in 2024 and was one of the captains in the Duleep Trophy.
Gill is just 25 years old and with his place in all three formats almost certain, there are high chances that he would be preferred as a long-term captaincy option. Shubman Gill also has a great ODI record and now has decent amount of experience at the international level which makes him a good option for India's captaincy in future. If he does well as a captain in the upcoming season, his stocks as future skipper are likely to go higher.
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer has not lead India so far, but has been brilliant in domestic cricket and in IPL. In the Indian Premier League, he led Kolkata Knight Riders to a title win in IPL 2025 and in the past also led Delhi Capitals to the final of the 2020 season. Thus, Shreyas Iyer has a brilliant captaincy record and his ability to bring the best out of his players has been highly praised.
He has also led Mumbai and other domestic teams, and will be leading Punjab Kings in IPL 2025. For India, he has been a quality ODI batter and played a big role in India's journey to the final of the 2023 World Cup. So, among the comparatively young players who can replace Rohit Sharma as ODI skipper, Shreyas Iyer has one of the finest captaincy record and can be a stable captaincy option in the 50-over format.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya till last year was touted as the next white-ball captain of Indian cricket. However, his fitness problems has led to his demotion and after leading India in 16 T20Is and three ODIs. Under his leadership, India won 10 T20Is while they won two ODIs out of three. So, his record is pretty decent and as an IPL captain, Hardik Pandya won the title in his inaugural season.
He also led Gujarat Titans to the final of 2023 season and as a result Mumbai Indians brought him as replacement for Rohit Sharma in the 2024 season. It did not work, but Pandya has shown good leadership skills in the past, and was also the vice-captain of the side that won the T20 World Cup 2024.
So, Hardik Pandya has both experience and good record in his CV, and if he manages to stay fit, he could be a quality captaincy option for India in white-ball formats.