The TATA IPL is all set to start from 28th March and the teams are all in preparations for the big stage. The captains have been announced and they are getting their teams ready. There are nine Indian captains and one overseas captain with a slight change. For the first half of the tournament, it will be Ishan Kishan leading the Sunrisers Hyderabad instead of Pat Cummins who has been ruled out of the first few games due to an injury.
The rest are similar to last season, except RR who have a new captain in Riyan Parag and they are:
IPL 2026 Teams and Their Captains
Kolkata Knight Riders - Ajinkya Rahane
Delhi Capitals - Axar Patel
Mumbai Indians - Hardik Pandya
Chennai Super Kings - Ruturaj Gaikwad
Punjab Kings - Shreyas Iyer
Gujarat Titans - Shubman Gill
Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Rajat Patidar
Lucknow Super Giants - Rishabh Pant
Sunrisers Hyderabad - Ishan Kishan/ Pat Cummins
Rajasthan Royals - Riyan Parag
Captaincy Record in IPL of All Team Captains
Name | Teams | Matches | Won | Loss | Tied/NR | W% |
Ajinkya Rahane | Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Super Giants | 38 | 14 | 23 | 0/1 | 0.600 |
Axar Patel | Delhi Capitals | 13 | 5 | 6 | 1/1 | 0.830 |
Hardik Pandya | Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans | 60 | 35 | 25 | 0/0 | 1.400 |
Ruturaj Gaikwad | Chennai Super Kings | 19 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0.720 |
Shreyas Iyer | Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings | 87 | 48 | 35 | 2/2 | 1.370 |
Shubman Gill | Gujarat Titans | 27 | 14 | 13 | 0/0 | 1.070 |
Rajat Patidar | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0/0 | 3.333 |
Rishabh Pant | Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants | 57 | 29 | 27 | 1/0 | 1.070 |
Pat Cummins | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 30 | 15 | 14 | 0/1 | 1.070 |
Riyan Parag | Rajasthan Royals | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0/0 | 0.330 |
Ishan Kishan | Sunrisers Hyderabad | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
1: Ajinkya Rahane - Captain of Kolkata Knight Riders
The current skipper of Kolkata Knight Riders, Ajinkya Rahane, began his captaincy career in the IPL with Rising Pune Super Giants as Steve Smith's backup in 2017. He then captained the Rajasthan Royals in 2018 and 2019. He was bought by KKR ahead of 2025 and replaced Shreyas Iyer as captain. He had a difficult time at KKR as they failed to qualify for the Playoffs after winning the title in 2024. Despite that, Rahane was retained as the skipper of IPL 2026. Know more about Kolkata Knight Riders 2026 Squad
2: Axar Patel - Captain of Delhi Capitals
The left-handed batter, Axar Patel, was made Delhi Capitals’ skipper ahead of the 2025 IPL and had a decent start, winning the first four games on the trot, but their form fell off after that, and they failed to qualify for the Playoffs yet another time. Know more about Delhi Capitals 2026 Squad
3: Hardik Pandya - Captain of Mumbai Indians
Hardik Pandya started his captaincy career with a bang when he joined the Gujarat Titans in 2022. He led them to the title in their very first season, then to the final in 2023. Before the 2024 season, he made a move back to the Mumbai Indians, this time as a skipper. He has not been that successful with them, though, as they failed to qualify for the Playoffs in 2024 and then failed to win Qualifier 2 in 2025. He also had to face a lot of flak in 2024 for coming to Mumbai as a skipper, instead of Rohit Sharma, even though it was not his fault. Know more about Mumbai Indians 2026 Squad
4: Ruturaj Gaikwad - Captain of Chennai Super Kings
Ruturaj Gaikad had a lot to fulfil, replacing MS Dhoni as skipper of Chennai Super Kings as skipper. He first captained the team in 2024 before becoming a full time captain in 2025. He missed half the season after suffering an injury in the middle of the season and Chennai Super Kings ended at the bottom of the table. He returns as skipper for IPL 2026. Know more here about Chennai Super Kings 2026 Squad
5: Shreyas Iyer - Captain of Punjab Kings
Shreyas Iyer has been a successful skipper in the IPL since he started the job for Delhi Capitals. He led them to their first final in the IPL in 2020 and then was made captain by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024. It was a wonderful season for them as KKR won the title for the third time. He was the skipper of Punjab Kings in 2025 and led them to the final for the first time since 2014 where they lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He will hope to take PBKS one step better in IPL 2026. Know more about Punjab Kings 2026 Squad
6: Shubman Gill - Captain of Gujarat Titans
Shubman Gill is the current skipper of Gujarat Titans. He was made their skipper in 2024 after Hardik Pandya’s departure but he did not have a great season as GT failed to make the Playoffs for the first time since their inception. Gujarat were much better in 2025 and Gill also had a splendid time with the bat. Gujarat eventually qualified for the Playoffs, where they lost to Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. Know more about Gujarat Titans 2026 Squad
7: Rajat Patidar - Captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Rajat Patidar made history with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025. He was leading an IPL side for the first time and led RCB to the title for the first time. They had never won an IPL title before and Rajat Patidar made their fans rejoice for the very first time. There is no surprise then that Patidar is back to lead the side in 2026, with an aim to defend the title. Know more about Royal Challengers Bengaluru 2026 Squad
8: Rishabh Pant - Captain of Lucknow Super Giants
Rishabh Pant made his debut as captain of the Delhi Capitals in 2021 and led them until 2022 before an accident ruled him out until the 2024 season. He led them in 2024 as well before being released ahead of the 2025 season. He was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants in 2025 but had a tough season with both bat and as a skipper. Lucknow failed to qualify for the playoffs, but the management has shown trust in Rishabh for the 2026 IPL season. Know more about Lucknow Super Giants 2026 Squad
9: Pat Cummins/ Ishan Kishan - Captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad
Pat Cummins has been ruled out for the first few games of IPL 2026, and in his place, Ishan Kishan will lead the Sunrisers Hyderabad. This will be Kishan's first time leading an IPL side. Pat Cummins, though, will be a big miss as he has led them well. He led them to the final in 2024 and also brought about a change in their approach, as they switched from a defensive to an attacking mindset. Know more about Sunrisers Hyderabad 2026 Squad
10: Riyan Parag - Captain of Rajasthan Royals
The TATA IPL 2026 will be the first time that Riyan Parag will be playing as a full-time skipper of the Rajasthan Royals. He has led them before when Sanju Samson was injured in 2025, but did not have a great season as Rajasthan won only two games under his captaincy, and that meant that they failed to qualify for the Playoffs. Know more about Rajasthan Royals 2026 Squad
