KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- The IPL 2026 season will be the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League, with most franchises expected to retain their captains.
- A few franchises may still review their captaincy following the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
- Captaincy announcements are expected to be finalised well ahead of the IPL 2026 opener.
IPL 2026 captaincy: Full list of skippers
With the IPL 2026 season approaching, fans are already looking for clarity on who will lead each franchise next season. While official confirmations may still be pending for some teams, most franchises have a clear leader.
Here is a team-by-team look at last season’s captain and the likely skipper for IPL 2026
| Team | Captain for IPL 2025 | Likely Captain for IPL 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | Ruturaj Gaikwad/MS Dhoni | Ruturaj Gaikwad |
| Delhi Capitals | Axar Patel | Axar Patel |
| Gujarat Titans | Shubman Gill | Shubman Gill |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Ajinkya Rahane | Ajinkya Rahane* (could change) |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Rishabh Pant | Rishabh Pant |
| Mumbai Indians | Hardik Pandya | Hardik Pandya |
| Punjab Kings | Shreyas Iyer | Shreyas Iyer |
| Rajasthan Royals | Sanju Samson/ Riyan Parag | Ravindra Jadeja* |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Rajat Patidar | Rajat Patidar |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Pat Cummins | Pat Cummins |
*Teams expected to change their captains.
MORE: IPL 2026 squads: Complete squads for every Indian Premier League side
How many IPL trophies has each IPL franchise won?
| Team | IPL Trophies* |
|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | 5 (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023) |
| Delhi Capitals | 0 |
| Gujarat Titans | 1 (2022) |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 3 (2012, 2014, 2024) |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 0 |
| Mumbai Indians | 5 (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) |
| Punjab Kings | 0 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 1 (2008) |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 1 (2025) |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 1 (2016) |
* Deccan Chargers (now defunct) won the IPL 2009.
MORE: Most expensive IPL players ever: Full year-by-year list as Rishabh Pant leads with ₹27 crore record