New Delhi: The buzz around Indian Premier League 2026 is intensifying as franchises gear up for the upcoming mini-auction on 16 December in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of the auction, teams have released their retained and released player lists, and the captaincy for most franchises is now confirmed. Out of 10 teams, 8 have confirmed their captains, while Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders are yet to announce their leaders. Here’s the full list:
Confirmed Captains:
- Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the team, retaining captaincy even after Sanju Samson’s arrival.
- Royal Challengers Bangalore: Rajat Patidar, retained by the franchise, continues as captain after leading RCB to the IPL 2025 title.
- Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya will captain MI, taking over from Rohit Sharma since his return in IPL 2024.
- Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins will continue as captain for 2026, as confirmed by the franchise.
- Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer retains captaincy after guiding PBKS to the IPL 2025 final.
- Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant will lead LSG again, continuing his role from IPL 2025.
- Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill steps into the captaincy role following Hardik Pandya’s departure.
- Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel remains captain, having been appointed in IPL 2025 and serving as a senior player since 2019.
Captains Yet to Be Confirmed:
- Rajasthan Royals: With Sanju Samson traded to Chennai Super Kings, RR is yet to announce a new captain for IPL 2026.
- Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane led KKR in IPL 2025 and has been retained, but the franchise has not officially confirmed whether he will continue as captain.
As teams finalize their squads ahead of the auction, all eyes will be on the new leadership decisions for Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, which could influence team strategies for IPL 2026.
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