The squads for 10 teams for IPL 2026 were made during the two-day mega auction in November last year. Before the auction, the teams were allowed a maximum of six players to be retained. During the auction, most of the players have joined a new side with some of them joining their old teams. At this point, only seven teams have either announced their captains or the writing is on the wall for them.
Some teams went on to retain their captains while some decided not only to change the squad but also let go their captains. Two teams have just announced their captains. However, there are some teams who have not announced their captains yet. Let’s have a look at the captains of all teams.
IPL 2026 captains’ list
| Teams | Captains |
|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | Ruturaj Gaikwad |
| Delhi Capitals | Axar patel |
| Gujarat Titans | Shubman Gill |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Ajinkya Rahane |
| Lucknow SuperGiants | Rishabh Pant |
| Mumbai Indians | Hardik Pandya |
| Punjab Kings | Shreyas Iyer |
| Rajasthan Royals | Riyan Parag(Not Confrimed) |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | Rajat Patidar |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Pat Cummins |
IPL Captains and their records
1. Chennai Super Kings (Ruturaj Gaikwad)
In the 2024 season, Ruturaj Gaikwad took over the captaincy from MS Dhoni. The team finished in the mid-table and missed the playoff qualification by a small margin. Under Gaikwad, the five-time winners won seven out of 14 games. He is set to lead the Yellow brigade once again.
2. Delhi Capitals (Axar patel)
The T20 World Cup 2024 winner has been named team captain for the 2025 season. He was the vice-captain in a couple of seasons. The Champions Trophy 2025 winner was one of the four retained players. KL Rahul was reportedly asked for the role but he denied which led to Patel becoming the captain.
3. Gujarat Titans (Shubman Gill)
Ahead of the last season, Hardik Pandya, the Titans’ first skipper went back to Mumbai Indians. This led to Shubman Gill taking over as captain. Under him, the team won nine out of 14 games only. However, he will continue to lead the side.
4. Kolkata Knight Riders (Ajinkya Rahane)
Kolkata Knight Riders have named Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for the 2025 IPL season, with Venkatesh Iyer as vice-captain. Rahane’s leadership experience and Iyer’s key role in the team were highlighted as crucial for their title defense. Rahane expressed excitement about leading a balanced squad, aiming to defend KKR’s IPL crown.
5. Lucknow SuperGiants (Rishabh Pant)
The India wicketkeeper batter was officially announced as captain on Monday, January 20. He has previously led the Capitals in 43 games. Out of them, he has won 23 and lost 19.
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6. Mumbai Indians (Hardik Pandya)
Hardik Pandya previously led Gujarat Titans and helped them claim their maiden title in 2022, followed by being runners-up in 2023. Last year, he led MI but the team finished 10th in the points table. He is set to lead the five-time winners again. Talking about his captaincy record, he has led in 60 games and won 35 out of them and lost 25.
7. Punjab Kings (Shreyas Iyer)
The 2014 finalists officially announced Shreyas Iyer as their captain during an episode of Bigg Boss 2024-25. He has previously led DC to a final in 2020 and KKR to a title win in 2024. Talking about his captaincy record, he has led in 87 games, winning 48 and losing 35.
8. Rajasthan Royals (Riyan Parag)
The 2008 winners will be led by Riyan Parag. Parag has led the team in 8 games, won 2 and lost 6.
9. Royal Challengers Bangalore (Rajat Patidar)
Rajat Patidar has been appointed captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore for IPL 2025. The top-order batter, who has been with RCB since 2021, replaces Faf du Plessis. RCB’s team director Mo Bobat praised Patidar’s calm leadership, decision-making, and determination. Despite speculation around Virat Kohli’s return as captain, RCB chose Patidar for his leadership qualities demonstrated with Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket.
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10. Sunrisers Hyderabad (Pat Cummins)
The WTC 2023 and WC 2023 winning captain for Australia led SRH last year. During his maiden captaincy stint in the IPL, he led the team in 30 games, including the final which they lost. The team won fifteen games and lost fifteen under him. Cummins will lead the team again.
