IPL 2025: The captaincy put under Test more than ever
-ANIRUDHA R NIJAGAL
Generational change brings end of eras. We’ve seen that Generational change in IPL 2025. Captains of most of the teams in IPL 2025 suggest that there has been a significant change in Generation and the captains of this day and age, The Gen Bold are as masterful as ever. The big names in Indian cricket and their bigger impact in IPL as captains have scripted a legendary legacy of IPL that revolutionised shorter formats in Cricket. IPL got its name and fame so much so that the tournament is recognised under the top global sporting events in the entire world.
The INDIAN PREMEIRE LEAGUE kicked off to a start on 22nd March 2025. With evolution in Technology, the game is now even more competitive as the Technology helps the players and support team around them to strategize to perfection, before a game. Cricket is a mind game and it requires strategies sometimes to take your team over the line. CAPTAINS are like the engine of a machine. As long as the engine’s efficiency is fine, the machine runs smoothy.
This era has seen improvement in the Batting domain and this era has totally belonged to the batters. Batsmanship has been on the easier side when compared to bowling, given the pitch conditions, boundary size metrics, powerplay concept, impact player rule in IPL and many more such reasons. This is when the role of a captain on field has stepped in. IPL 2025 has made the requirement of a tactically strong captain, a mandate in any team to overcome the kind of batting happening these days. Gone are the days when 170-180 were competitive totals in IPL on any wicket. The captains on field leading the fielding side have to hold the nerve and make their moves to keep their side in control against the run fest which has become common in this edition of IPL. And the fact of the matter is that the captains have raised to the occasions more often than not. IPL 2025 is demanding captaincy more than anything else. Which is why the captains of all teams have been put under test more than ever before. Let’s first take a look at the captains of all IPL 2025 teams.
Shreyas Iyer (PBKS), Rajat Patidar (RCB), Axar Patel (DC), Shubman Gill (GT), Hardik Pandya (MI), Riyan Parag -> Sanju Samson (RR), Ruturaj Gaikwad -> MS Dhoni (CSK), Ajinkya Rahane (KKR), Rishabh Pant (LSG), Pat Cummins (SRH)
Shreyas Iyer, Rajat Patidar, Axar Patel, Riyan Parag, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant are leading their respective franchises for the first time, while Axar Patel and Rajat Patidar have been appointed as full-time captains for the first time in IPL. All the captains have their own kind of leadership tactics, but the efficiency matters the most. We are able to see that the ball is coming on to the bat more than ever in most of the venues this time. We know how much impact the toss carries these days as chasing the total in T20s have seemed easier. Venues like Chinnaswamy Stadium, Wankhede Stadium, Eden Gardens have significantly helped the teams when batting second because of its flat decks and also because of the dew factor that pitches in later on during the second half of the innings. Let us break down how the captains have embraced the challenge and come out on top with some examples.
The first instance that comes to my mind was Rajat Patidar’s composed approach to lead RCB to a 12-run victory against MI in the Wankhede wicket. The toss went in Hardik Pandya’s favour and in reply RCB put on 221 runs on the board. But Hardik Pandya’s monstrous batting in the latter half of second innings was a walking talking danger to RCB. But Rajat Patidar’s bravery stood out that day when he asked Krunal Pandya to bowl the final over of the innings when 19 runs were required for MI with Hardik Pandya back in the dug out failing to clear a Josh Hazlewood delivery. Rajat’s thought process to Keep Hazlewood’s 2 overs to the end of innings, finishing off Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 3 overs in the powerplay making use of his swing and fully making use of the impact player in Suyash Sharma who delivered for RCB that day. Rajat Patidar has been a good captain.
One of the highlights of this season was the selflessness of the PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer. Despite nearing a century in the first innings after a knock in which he totally lead from the front against Gujarat Titans, Shreyas chose maximising the team’s score over his milestone by letting Shashank Singh play out all the remaining deliveries of the Final over. Shreyas made a wonderful 97 off 42 balls leading to a formidable 243 and a subsequent victory.
Axar Patel’s calm and strategic decisions against LSG like bringing on the experienced Mitchell Starc to bowl to Nicholas Pooran, who was eventually dismissed for a well-made 75. And finally, a quickfire 22 off 11 balls in a successful chase of 210 runs.
Cool headed Hardik Pandya chipping in with 2 quick wickets in 1 over against RCB, dismissing a settled Virat Kohli and a big fish in Liam Livingstone. And we know his heroics in the chase when he almost pulled off a blinder by smashing the RCB bowlers to all corners of the ground to give a hope to MI as a captain. Chirpy and always wears heart on his sleeves while operating his bowling troops on field.
Experienced campaigner Ajinkya Rahane’s clever test match like field placements for his resourceful mystery spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, thorough involvement on field to help out his men to bring out their best. And proper rotation of bowlers against CSK, especially when he chose Sunil Narine over Moeen Ali to dismiss MS Dhoni when CSK were reeling at 70 odd runs with only 3 wickets in hand.
Many more instances like Rishabh Pant promoting Nicholas Pooran up the order, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s timeliness in bringing Matheesha Pathirana on to bowl, Pat Cummins being the only away captain of IPL 2025, bringing himself on when the situation seems tight, Sanju Samson’s view of the field from behind the stumps has been instrumental which helps him to run to his bowlers and communicate what to bowl when. Last but definitely not the least - Gujarat Titans finely lead by Shubman Gill is cruising well in the initial phase because of his statistical and calculated rotation of his arguably best bowling line up of IPL 2025.
Captains in 2025 have embraced the challenges that have come their way. IPL in a way might help BCCI in thinking of the Future captain. If the Indian team needs to look for someone in the leadership role, there are promising prospects like the most likely Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya and of course Shubman Gill.
Its unfortunate that Ruturaj Gaikwad is ruled out of IPL 2025….. AAAANNDD, India awaits to welcome MS DHONI “The Captain” to the cricketing world ALL OVER AGAIN…!!
