IPL 2023 Captains: List of Skippers Who Will Lead Their Respective Franchises in Indian Premier League Season 16

Just a few days are left for one of the biggest cricketing leagues in the world to get underway and these are exciting times for all cricket fans in India. Some of the biggest names in the sport, including MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Hardik Pandya, will be in action for their respective franchises in the tournament, which starts on March 31. A total of 70 games in the league stage await fans. The tournament will start with a blockbuster clash between defending champions Gujarat Titans and former winners Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. IPL 2023 Schedule, Free PDF Download Online: Get Fixtures, Time Table With Match Timings in IST and Venue Details of Indian Premier League Season 16.

While most captains who led their teams in the previous seasons will continue to do so this time, this edition of the tournament will see some different players take up the mantle of leadership for some franchises. For example, David Warner will lead Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023 after Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the tournament with the wicketkeeper batter still recovering from his injuries sustained in a serious road accident. Punjab Kings, who released their captain from the previous season in Mayank Agarwal, will have Shikhar Dhawan lead the franchise. And Aiden Markram was named the new captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise, with the young South African having won the inaugural SA20 with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape earlier this year. Here’s a list of captains of all the teams ahead of the new season.

MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings): No surprises here. MS Dhoni, one of cricket’s most decorated captains, will again lead the Chennai Super Kings outfit this season. Dhoni is the second-most successful captain in IPL history, having won the title four times. He is second only to Rohit Sharma, who has won the IPL five times with Mumbai Indians. Dhoni’s CSK last won the IPL in 2021 after an impressive win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the final. Can Dhoni add a fifth title to his IPL trophy cabinet?  'Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar Hoon' Netizens Nostalgic As CSK Share Photo of MS Dhoni in Team India Dugout Ahead of IND vs AUS 3rd ODI in Chennai.

Hardik Pandya (Gujarat Titans): Gujarat Titans pulled off a game-changing move by appointing Hardik Pandya as skipper for their inaugural season in the tournament. Not only did this move work, but cricket fans got to witness Pandya’s captaincy, a side not seen much before. The all-rounder guided Gujarat Titans to the title in their debut season last year and Pandya will be looking for more accolades to outline his captaincy credentials.

Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians): The most successful captain in the IPL will once again aim to have his hands on the trophy for the first time since 2020. Mumbai Indians, winner of the tournament for a record five times, have failed to qualify for the playoffs for the last two seasons but this time, they look to break that streak. The former champions added some big names to their squad at the mini-auction earlier and look quite a formidable outfit with a good mix of youth and experience. Jasprit Bumrah being ruled out of their scheme of things is indeed a big blow but Mumbai Indians are still a strong side. IPL 2023 Promo Released: Indian Premier League Promotional Video 'Shor On, Game On' Released By Star Sports.

Faf du Plessis (Royal Challengers Bangalore): Having taken the captaincy of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) last season, Faf du Plessis did not do too poorly. The Proteas batter guided the team to Qualifier 2 where they were defeated by eventual runners-up Nikhat Zareen. This time, he will look to take RCB further and hopefully to the title, something that the franchise has never won despite so many match-winners having represented them.

David Warner (Delhi Capitals): As mentioned above, Delhi Capitals looked up to David Warner as captain after regular skipper Rishabh Pant was sidelined from the competition. The Australian has tasted success in the IPL when he guided Sunrisers Hyderabad to their first and only IPL title in 2016. The southpaw has a lot of leadership experience under his belt and he will lead Delhi’s charge for a maiden title this season.

Nitish Rana (Kolkata Knight Riders): Nitish Rana was named KKR's captain for IPL 2023 in place of injured Shreyas Iyer. It has been speculated that Rana would take up the leadership role once Iyer is ruled out, although the franchise stated that they are hopeful of the right-hander returning to play a part this season. Rana brings with him leadership experience, having captained his state team Delhi. Having been with KKR since 2018, this is the first time he will lead the squad in the IPL and it would be interesting to see how the team performs under him.

KL Rahul (Lucknow Super Giants): KL Rahul’s Lucknow Super Giants had a decent time in the IPL last year but fell to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the eliminator. Rahul has been under a lot of flak in recent times for his performances with the bat and he will look to silence his detractors with a good IPL performance. Lucknow Super Giants have one of the most well-balanced squads on paper and Rahul can guide them to IPL glory. Zero Runs, Seven Wickets! Sunil Narine Returns With Exceptional Figures During Division 1 game in Trinidad Ahead of IPL 2023.

Shikhar Dhawan (Punjab Kings): Appointed captain after the franchise released Mayank Agarwal, Shikhar Dhawan has some task cut out. The southpaw will look to lead his side’s charge for a maiden IPL trophy. Punjab Kings have the most expensive player in IPL history in the form of Sam Curran and the squad looks pretty strong. Jonny Bairstow missing out is a blow but Punjab Kings have enough players to make up for that loss. Will Dhawan guide Punjab Kings to the title in IPL 2023?

Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals): Sanju Samson came close to winning the IPL for Rajasthan Royals last year but fell short in the end, with Gujarat Titans claiming the top prize. But Samson’s Rajasthan Royals had a very good time in the IPL last year and this time too, they will look to put up a similar performance. Jos Buttler, their and the IPL’s best scorer last year, would aim to resume from where he left last year. On the bowling front, the presence of Trent Boult and spin bowlers like Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin does make Rajasthan Royals a pre-tournament favourite.IPL 2023: Kieron Pollard Begins His Batting Coach Role With Mumbai Indians.

Aiden Markram (Sunrisers Hyderabad): The South African has seen a rise in his stature as captain. He made history by leading the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural SA20 title earlier this year. His leadership skills impressed the Sunrisers Hyderabad management, who tasked him with captaining the former winners in IPL 2023. Markram was also named South Africa’s T20I captain recently. The right-hander was in good form last year and this time, it will be interesting to see how he performs with the bat in hand.

Leading a side to success in the Indian Premier League can massively impact a players' career, just what happened with Hardik Pandya, whose success with Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 now has made him a future candidate for India's captaincy in white-ball cricket, especially in the shortest version of the game.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2023 08:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).