Patiala, 22 March (Shahi)
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, set to kick off on March 28, will feature a mix of familiar captains and a couple of fresh faces leading their franchises. While eight teams have retained their skippers from the previous season, two sides have new leaders: Riyan Parag takes charge of Rajasthan Royals after Sanju Samson’s trade to Chennai Super Kings, and Ishan Kishan steps in as interim captain for Sunrisers Hyderabad while Pat Cummins recovers from injury.
This season marks a notable shift, with all 10 teams starting under Indian captains (at least until Cummins returns). Veterans MS Dhoni (CSK) and Rohit Sharma (MI)—the most successful IPL captains with five titles each—continue to play under new leadership after stepping down earlier.
watch…..MS Dhoni’s IPL 2026 Return: What Fans Can Expect
Here is the complete list of IPL 2026 captains:
| Team | Captain | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Retained; succeeded MS Dhoni |
| Delhi Capitals | Axar Patel | Retained |
| Gujarat Titans | Shubman Gill | Retained |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Ajinkya Rahane | Retained |
| Mumbai Indians | Hardik Pandya | Retained |
| Rajasthan Royals | Riyan Parag | New full-time captain (Sanju Samson traded) |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Rajat Patidar | Retained; led RCB to 2025 title |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Ishan Kishan* | Interim captain (Pat Cummins recovering) |
| Punjab Kings | Shreyas Iyer | Retained |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Rishabh Pant | Retained |
*Interim – until Pat Cummins recovers from injury.
Key Highlights & Captain Profiles
- Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK): Appointed ahead of IPL 2024, Gaikwad stepped into MS Dhoni’s shoes. Despite a challenging 2025 (CSK finished bottom), he remains at the helm. Gaikwad previously led India to Asian Games gold in 2023.
- Axar Patel (DC): Took over before IPL 2025. Delhi Capitals finished fifth last season, missing playoffs by a single point. Axar was part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in 2026.
- Shubman Gill (GT): Continues as captain since 2024. Despite strong personal batting form, Gujarat Titans have not yet won the title under him (missed playoffs in 2024, Eliminator exit in 2025).
- Ajinkya Rahane (KKR): In his second season leading the three-time champions. KKR struggled in 2025, finishing eighth with 12 points.
- Hardik Pandya (MI): Bounced back strongly in 2025 after a tough debut year in 2024 (MI finished bottom). Guided MI to Qualifier 2 in 2025. Previously won IPL with Gujarat Titans (2022) and finished runner-up (2023).
- Riyan Parag (RR): Named full-time captain after Sanju Samson’s trade to CSK. Parag previously led RR in eight matches in 2025 as stand-in (2 wins, 6 losses).
- Rajat Patidar (RCB): Led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their maiden IPL title in 2025, ending an 18-year wait. RCB finished second in the league stage before winning Qualifier 1 and the final against Punjab Kings.
- Ishan Kishan (SRH – interim): Appointed interim captain while Pat Cummins recovers. Kishan had a stellar 2026 T20 World Cup (317 runs, India’s second-highest scorer) and is one of the IPL’s most explosive wicketkeeper-batters (nearly 3,000 runs at SR >130).
- Shreyas Iyer (PBKS): Continues after guiding Punjab Kings to the final in 2025. Iyer became the first captain in IPL history to lead three different teams to the final (previously with KKR in 2024 and DC in 2020).
- Rishabh Pant (LSG): Retained as captain after being appointed before IPL 2025 (following KL Rahul’s release). As the most expensive player in IPL history, Pant will aim to improve on LSG’s disappointing 2025 campaign.
With a strong Indian core leading all franchises, IPL 2026 promises intense leadership battles and high-stakes cricket as teams chase glory in what could be another thrilling season.
