Summary of this article
Have a look at the 10 skippers for the forthcoming IPL 2026 season
RCB are the defending champs
The new season gets underway later this month
With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 fast approaching, fans will hoping their franchises give clarity as to who will lead their respective team in the coming season. However, official word is out and the 10 franchises have confirmed their skippers for the upcoming season.
From Hardik Pandya to Shubman Gill, the 2026 edition will be a mixture of calm and aggression leaders. Iyer, who won the 2024 IPL with KKR, will want to bring success with his new team. As for Gill, he would want to make a point after being axed from the T20 WC squad.
On the other hand, veteran names such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni will take the field to add to the 'X-factor'. The The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the first phase of IPL 2026 fixtures on March 12, Wednesday as the opening match sees defending champions RCB take on SunRisers Hyderabad at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Ahead of the season opener, here's a look at the captains for the forthcoming IPL 2026 season:
Ruturaj Gaikwad - Chennai Super Kings
CSK will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad for the upcoming IPL 2026, however the 29-year-old has a modest record as captain of the team. He has won only 8 matches from the possible 19 he has led.
Shreyas Iyer - Punjab Kings
After leaving KKR, Shreyas Iyer has settled in at Punjab Kings. The Mumbai batter has captained in 87 IPL matches, and has tasted success in 48 of those games.
Shubman Gill - Gujarat Titans
GT captain Shubman Gill is touted to be as a shrewd leader. Gill succeeded Hardik Pandya after IPL 2023 but it has not been smooth sailing for him. In 27 games as captain, Gill has only won 14 matches.
Hardik Pandya - Mumbai Indians
After being a success with Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya was supposed to usher in the same at Mumbai Indians. Unfortunately, the star all-rounder has struggled to lead the line by registering just 35 wins from 60 matches.
Ajinkya Rahane - Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders made a brave call in handing captaincy to Ajinkya Rahane. The Mumbai-born batter racked up 14 victories from 38 games he has led in the Indian Premier League.
Rajat Patidar - Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Defending champions RCB will continue with Rajat Patidar at the helm, given how he led them to their first title in 2025.
Ishan Kishan - SunRisers Hyderabad
Ishan Kishan has had a dream last five months as he led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, made it back into the Indian T20 team with a bang and then played an inspiring role in India's triumph in the T20 World Cup. On top of that, now he's getting to lead a power-packed team like the SRH in the absence of Australia's Pat Cummins.
Rishabh Pant - Lucknow Super Giants
After leaving Delhi Capitals, Rishabh Pant has yet to set the stage alight with his captaincy as well as batting prowess. Pant has led in 57 IPL games, winning mere 27 of them.
Axar Patel - Delhi Capitals
DC named Axar Patel as their captain and the all-rounder will have his task cut out in 2026 season. In 13 matches as captain, Axar has only managed to win 5 matches.
Riyan Parag - Rajasthan Royals
RR will be without their influential player Sanju Samson but with the availability of Ravindra Jadeja, Riyan Parag will learn a trick or two from the veteran player.
