The upcoming IPL 2025 season will feature a mega auction, prompting many franchises to seek new captains. Several IPL teams are keenly anticipating the finalization of the retention process to confirm their choices for new leadership.
Teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Gujarat Titans (GT), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are expected to maintain continuity in their leadership by retaining Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Pat Cummins as captains, respectively.
RCB, LSG, and DC eye Mumbai Indians’ (MI) stars for captaincy ahead of the IPL 2025
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Delhi Capitals (DC) are actively seeking new captains for the upcoming IPL 2025 season, according to a report from Hindustan Times. These franchises are closely monitoring the retention decisions of the Mumbai Indians (MI) for clues on their leadership strategy.
The focus lies on whether Mumbai Indians will retain Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. Rohit, who recently led India to victory in the T20 World Cup, has been succeeded by Suryakumar as India’s new T20I captain. There was anticipation that Hardik Pandya would continue as captain for MI.
Recent changes in the Indian cricket setup have prompted the five-time IPL champions to reassess their strategies, particularly after Suryakumar Yadav was chosen over Hardik Pandya as India’s new T20I captain ahead of the upcoming Sri Lanka tour.
As reported by Dainik Jagran, Rohit Sharma, who captains Team India in ODIs and Tests, played a pivotal role in Suryakumar’s appointment as the T20I captain. This decision was influenced by inputs from head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
Rohit Sharma has endorsed Gautam Gambhir’s selection as the head coach of Team India and supported the decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain until the 2026 T20 World Cup. Reports indicate that Hardik Pandya faced a lack of confidence vote from fellow Indian players, who favored Suryakumar for the T20I leadership role.
This unexpected turn of events has sparked speculation about whether Mumbai Indians (MI) will retain Hardik for another season, especially considering the internal divisions his captaincy caused last year. MI’s decision regarding Hardik will carry significant weight as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) seek new leadership ahead of IPL 2025.
Suryakumar Yadav can look for the captaincy role in the IPL 2025
Furthermore, Mumbai Indians (MI) are faced with the crucial decision of retaining Suryakumar Yadav for the upcoming season, especially given his alignment with Rohit Sharma amid internal team divisions last season following Hardik Pandya’s captaincy.
With Suryakumar now holding the captaincy for India, his ambitions may include leading the IPL’s most renowned franchise or exploring other possibilities if not retained by MI. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah, a pivotal figure in the team’s leadership dynamics, is expected to be retained without hesitation.
The IPL Governing Council has yet to finalize the number of players each franchise can retain. However, if teams are allowed to retain four players, including one overseas player, Mumbai Indians will face challenging decisions. This scenario could potentially create opportunities for teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Delhi Capitals (DC) to bolster their squads with top-tier talent from MI.RCB may also consider their former batter, KL Rahul, who might be released by LSG after team owner Sanjeev Goenka had a heated argument with the Indian wicketkeeper in the IPL 2024. The upcoming mega auction will bring significant changes to the teams’ leadership scenes.
