By Guest - Mar 20, 2025 03:45 PM
‘Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi’ reads an inscription on the IPL trophy, which is dotted with the names of all victorious teams since the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2008. This Sanskrit phrase, meaning "where talent meets opportunity", perfectly embodies the IPL phenomenon.
For nearly two decades, the tournament has invariably brought forth exciting, rare talent from the grassroots level and helped those players realize their full potential on the biggest stage. This competition, which early on introduced true gems such as Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah, continues to uncover phenomenal young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy, and Nitish Kumar Reddy with each passing season.
The IPL has given these highly skilled players a platform to showcase their talents on the grandest stage, instilling in them the confidence to perform under pressure and deliver results regardless of circumstances. Beyond player development, the IPL has played a significant role in the emergence of Rohit Sharma as a captain, too.
An IPL legend in his own right, Sharma had amassed five IPL trophies before being entrusted with leading the national side at a crucial juncture when team management faced a key question: who should succeed Kohli? Fast-tracked into the job, Sharma initially struggled to make an impact right off the bat. However, he learned from failures (notably the T20 World Cup in 2022) to transform the team's core dynamic—efforts that are now paying dividends.
Since October 2023, the Indian side under Rohit Sharma has enjoyed an excellent run in ICC tournaments, defeating nearly every opponent, save the Aussies in the heart-breaking CWC 2023 final.
Many franchises have bought into this grand vision that the IPL sells and achieved great success by investing in young talent and capable leaders. Let's check out the new captains five teams are hoping will make a big difference this season.
The free-flowing batsman from Madhya Pradesh, Rajat Patidar, carries a significant burden: leading RCB to victory. Numerous captains have come and gone, yet silverware has remained elusive for the Bengaluru franchise for nearly two decades. Will Patidar break this spell? Can he show them the path to success? Coach Andy Flower and RCB stalwarts like AB De Villiers certainly believe so. Virat Kohli, the man himself, has thrown his weight behind the new skipper.
Fresh from leading MP's charge in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he fell just short at the final hurdle, Patidar will be keen to do things in his distinctive way: calm, measured, and composed. However, whether he can place RCB on the honours board remains to be seen—a feat that even luminaries like Virat Kohli and Faf Du Plessis struggled to achieve.
After guiding KKR to a title triumph last year, Shreyas Iyer made himself available for the IPL mega auction—a decision that proved fortunate. Iyer attracted serious interest from Punjab Kings, who were determined to acquire Iyer and appoint him captain at any cost. In the end, they paid a staggering 26.75 crore, making one thing very clear: for them, nothing matters more than winning their first IPL championship title.
Coming off a successful Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament campaign, Iyer faces a clear challenge as Punjab's skipper: to help the franchise lift their maiden IPL trophy, a feat none of their previous 16 captains managed to accomplish. The PBKS management has pinned big hopes on Iyer following his successful tenure with Kolkata. They've assembled a strong squad, but with an entirely new setup under former DC coach Ricky Ponting, Iyer must figure out the right team field the best possible XI that will help their cause.
Vaayu Saxena, a betting expert from MybettingsitesIndia, notes that the top IPL satta apps give Punjab Kings little chance of reaching the final. This gives Iyer something to prove—and he typically performs well when motivated, which bodes well for Punjab fans.
With Rishabh Pant requesting to be released into the auction pool, Delhi Capitals were looking for a new captain. They poached KL Rahul from the LSG camp in what seemed to be a straightforward swap, but the right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman surprised everyone by declining the opportunity to lead the side just ten days before the IPL kickoff. Axar Patel, next in line, has embraced the opportunity and looks forward to leading Delhi Capitals this season. Having played a key role in orchestrating victories for Team India with both bat and ball in the T20 format, the lanky all-rounder from Gujarat is eager to replicate his success, albeit in an entirely different capacity.
Next comes Rishabh Pant, another experienced captain in unfamiliar territory. After a decade in Delhi colours, Pant decided to make the switch and jumped at the chance when the mega auction arrived. He found eager buyers in Lucknow Super Giants, who had targeted Pant before the auction and seized the opportunity to acquire him. With KL Rahul not opting to stay, LSG needed a new captain, and Pant fit the profile- to a T. Joining forces with former Australian coach Justin Langer, Pant aims to make an immediate impression. Defeating his former team, Delhi Capitals, in Visakhapatnam would provide the ideal start to his new role.
Rahane is clearly the odd man out on this list. Once considered past his prime and dropped from the Test side, Rahane took in on the chin and rebounded impressively with a middle-order blitzkrieg role that contributed significantly to CSK's title triumph in 2024. Despite his poor batting performance last season forcing CSK to release him into the auction pool (where he risked going unsold), Rahane now finds himself back in the reckoning with KKR.
KKR's management believes the Mumbai cricketer is the right man for the job, primarily due to his extensive experience—having captained India when called upon, led Mumbai at the domestic level, and participated in 185 IPL games since the inaugural season. While cricket pundits expected Venkatesh Iyer to be the new captain, Rahane's appointment came as a surprise. So will the plan work? Will the man from Mumbai step up and help KKR successfully defend their title? We’ll see.
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