IPL 2022 gets underway on March 26 in Mumbai with the first game between last year’s finalists Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. Along with two new teams and a few new rules, this season of the IPL will also have a few first-time captains. With the much anticipated tournament only a few days away, let’s find out who are the captains that will lead each of the 10 franchises.
Royal Challengers Bangalore – Faf du Plessis
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), who have never won an IPL title, will be led by Faf du Plessis in the upcoming edition of the tournament. After their former captain Virat Kohli decided to relinquish captaincy, RCB named the South African as its new skipper.
Kolkata Knight Riders – Shreyas Iyer
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who won the IPL in 2012 and 2014, and were the losing finalists last year, will be led by Shreyas Iyer. Last year, they were led by England’s Eoin Morgan, who was not retained by the team due to poor performances.
Delhi Capitals – Rishabh Pant
The Delhi Capitals (DC), who were led by Shreyas Iyer for a few seasons, will now be captained by Rishabh Pant. The young wicketkeeper batsman will be hoping to lead the team to its first-ever title this year.
Mumbai Indians – Rohit Sharma
The most successful captain in the IPL, Rohit Sharma will continue to be at the helm of the Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2022 and will be looking to lead the side to a record sixth title.
Chennai Super Kings – MS Dhoni
The only IPL team that has not changed its captain since the inception of the tournament is Chennai Super Kings (CSK). MS Dhoni has been at the helm of the team since 2008, winning four trophies. With the wicketkeeper batsman’s career now in its last legs, fans will be hoping that CSK win one more title before Dhoni calls it time on his IPL career.
Rajasthan Royals – Sanju Samson
The Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman has been retained as the captain of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the 2022 IPL season. Sanju Samson has been one of the best batsmen for the Royals over the last couple of seasons and will be looking to carry the same form into the upcoming season.
Lucknow Super Giants - KL Rahul
KL Rahul, who was the captain of the Punjab Kings last few seasons, will now lead the new franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). KL has been among the highest run-scorers in the last four seasons of the IPL, but his captaincy was not too impressive. He will be hoping to work on that front for his new franchise.
Gujarat Titans - Hardik Pandya
The former Mumbai Indians all-rounder, who will be playing for the Gujarat Titans this year, has also been named as the team’s captain. It can be noted that Pandya does not have any prior experience of captaincy in the IPL. However, he will be hoping that his new journey as a leader starts on a good note.
Punjab Kings - Mayank Agarwal
The Punjab Kings appointed Mayank Agarwal as the captain of the franchise ahead of the new season. Mayank has been one of the team’s most consistent performers the last few years, which earned him the coveted job of captaincy.
Sunrisers Hyderabad - Kane Williamson
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will once again be led by Kane Williamson, who led New Zealand to the final of the T20 World Cup. SRH’s performance in IPL 2021 was unimpressive and they will be hoping to start afresh this season.
