Gone are the days when the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni used to come out for toss in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The upcoming 18th edition of the cash-rich league will witness a batch of new and young faces coming out for the toss, and it is a new beginning for the uber-popular T20 tournament.
On Friday, March 14, Axar Patel was announced as the captain of Delhi Capitals. With this, all ten leaders have been confirmed for the upcoming IPL 2025 season.
Pat Cummins is the only overseas captain this season, while the other nine leaders are all Indians. Rajat Patidar will lead RCB after being named as the Bengaluru-based franchise captain in February 2025.
Ajinkya Rahane will lead defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), with Venkatesh Iyer acting as his deputy.Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will captain Lucknow Super Giants.
Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to their third IPL title win in IPL 2024, will now be seen in Punjab colours, leading the franchise in pursuit of their maiden IPL title.
The IPL 2025 will get underway on March 22, and the final will be played on May 25, 2025. The season’s 74 matches will be played across 13 venues and include 12 double-headers. The afternoon games will begin at 03.30 PM IST, and the evening games will begin at 07.30 PM IST.
The tournament’s opening match will be played between KKR and RCB at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The same venue will host Qualifier 2 and the final.
The first of the 12 double-headers day will take place on March 23, 2025, as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) face Rajasthan Royals (RR) in an afternoon game in Hyderabad.
This will be followed by a mouthwatering clash in the evening as the two five-time IPL champions – CSK and Mumbai Indians (MI) – lock horns at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Following the conclusion of the league stage, the Playoffs will be played in Hyderabad and Kolkata. Hyderabad will host Qualifier 1 and Eliminator on May 20, 2025, and May 21, 2025, respectively. The action will then shift to Kolkata, which will host Qualifier 2 on May 23, 2025.
Here is the full list of IPL 2025 captains
Kolkata Knight Riders – Ajinkya Rahane
SunRisers Hyderabad – Pat Cummins
Rajasthan Royals – Sanju Samson
Royal Challengers Bengaluru – Rajat Patidar
Chennai Super Kings – Ruturaj Gaikwad
Delhi Capitals – Axar Patel
Lucknow Super Giants – Rishabh Pant
Punjab Kings – Shreyas Iyer
Gujarat Titans – Shubman Gill
Mumbai Indians – Hardik Pandya