IPL 2025, Know Your Captains: From Iyer To Axar; Who Is Leading Which Side?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is just a few days away. With many teams embarking on a new era, there have been several changes in the leadership roles of various teams post the IPL 2025 mega auction. And thus it is essential to know who the leaders of all the ten franchises are. 

Axar Patel- Delhi Capitals

Axar Patel was made the captain of the Capitals after they released Rishabh Pant and did not buy him back in the mega auction. KL Rahul was touted to be the captain, but Axar’s name being announced was a positive change for Delhi as they rewarded someone who has performed exceedingly well for the side. As Pant’s deputy, Axar scored 235 runs and took 11 wickets in IPL 2024. 

Axar has experience of captaining in 17 T20s, where he has led Gujarat in 16 games and Capitals in one match. 

Shreyas Iyer- Punjab Kings

The winner of IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders, Shreyas Iyer moved to Punjab Kings at a whopping INR 26.75 Cr. He is the most experienced captain among all the 10 captains as far as IPL is concerned. Iyer has led in 70 matches, winning 40 of them and losing 29 with one match getting washed out. In T20s, he has experience of captaining in 83 matches with 51 wins in his kitty. 

Rajat Patidar- Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Rajat Patidar replaced Faf du Plessis as captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Like Axar, Patidar was also retained and rewarded for his brilliant showing by his franchise. Though Axar was still vice-captain and got the elevation, Patidar getting promoted as captain has so far looked like a proper shift from hero worship to tactical play by the RCB. 

ALSO READ: Pragmatism Over Popularity: Why Patidar Captaining RCB Is A DEFINING Moment In IPL History

Patidar led Madhya Pradesh to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 where his team lost a thriller to Iyer-led Mumbai. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad- Chennai Super Kings

Ruturaj Gaikwad was given the reins of Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024 after MS Dhoni decided to call it quits as captain of the side just days before the previous season.

Gaikwad’s first season wasn’t that good, but could not be called bad either, as it was down to just one game between his side making it to the playoffs and getting knocked out in the group stages. 

So far, the 28-year-old has led Chennai in 14 matches, winning seven of them and losing an equal number. In terms of his T20 captaincy, Gaikwad has led in 35 matches, winning 19 and losing 14. Now that he has experience of one season already, Chennai would want nothing but a playoff finish, if not a title from the new leader. 

Hardik Pandya- Mumbai Indians

Though the most experienced among the lot in terms of international T20 exposure, Hardik Pandya is only one of two captains among the ten with an IPL title to his name. 

However, Pandya won the title as captain of the Gujarat Titans and now, as Mumbai Indians leader, he must do much better than last season, when his own form was part of the bigger problem of trust and execution that the Mumbai side faced. MI, shockingly enough, finished bottom in IPL 2024.

So far, the all-rounder has captained in 61 T20Is, winning 36 and losing 24 of them. When it comes to the IPL, the junior Pandya has been amazing, winning 26 out of the 45 matches he has captained in the cash-rich league. 

In many ways, his track record suggests that IPL 2024 was a one-off aberration. 

Pat Cummins- Sunrisers Hyderabad

Pat Cummins is the only overseas captain in IPL 2025, and he is there because of his merit. In 2024, the Australian led the Sunrisers Hyderabad to their first IPL final appearance since 2018. 

Cummins and Hyderabad would look to go one step ahead and win their second ever title. The fast bowler has experience of leading in 16 T20s, all of which came in the last IPL. 

Ajinkya Rahane- Kolkata Knight Riders

Rahane, for whom it was looking like a dead end as far as T20 cricket is concerned, found a new life in the Chennai Super Kings during IPL 2023. Though he was never going to be retained, he was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Shreyas Iyer heading towards Punjab opened a door, and he fit himself in it. 

Rahane has previously led in 25 matches in the IPL, but remained mostly unsuccessful, winning only nine of them. His batting record as captain isn’t too impressive either, with just two fifties in 25 innings. He led Rajasthan in 24 matches and Rising Pune Super Giants in one. Overall, Rahane has the experience of leading in 53 T20s, winning 29 of them and losing 24. 

Rishabh Pant-Lucknow Super Giants

Rishabh Pant, the costliest buy in IPL history at 27 Cr, will lead the Lucknow Super Giants. It was a no-brainer after KL Rahul moved to the Delhi Capitals. But Pant has not really been the best captain, winning 24 and losing 19 matches as Capitals’ skipper between 2021 and 2024. 

Shubman Gill-Gujarat Titans

Shubman Gill retained his place as Gujarat Titans captain even as his team was not able to show exactly the same spirit of the previous two seasons. They finished a lowly eighth. 

If Gill wants to become a three-format player and improve his chances of becoming all-format captain of India someday, this season will be the test of his perseverance, both as captain and T20 batter. So far, the Punjab-born player has led in 18 T20s, with 12 of them coming in the IPL. While in IPL he has a 5-7 win/loss record, overall, he has won 10 T20s as captain. 

Sanju Samson-Rajasthan Royals

And finally, Sanju Samson, the man who has all the shots in the book as a batter and has been brilliant as captain too, taking Rajasthan Royals to two playoffs since being named captain in 2021. He has led the Royals a record 59 times, which is the most for any RR player, even more than legends like Shane Warne and Rahul Dravid. 

With one number three and one number two finish, Sanju and Royals will look to claim the number one spot finally this season. The Kerala-born player has experience of leading 93 T20s, which is the most in the format among all current IPL captains. In those games, he has won 50 and lost 42.