3 Teams That Could Have A New Captain In IPL 2026

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most anticipated T20 tournaments in the world, and the competition there is cut-throat. Hence, the teams often do not hesitate to make drastic changes, which they believe will take them to glory. One of them is captaincy; a leader makes a huge difference in the side's success or failure.

IPL 2026 will be no different as the franchises will want to seek, and some of them might even consider leadership changes. We explore teams that could potentially have a new captain in IPL 2026.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

KKR did not retain the title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer ahead of the 2025 auction and instead shelled 23.75 crore on Venkatesh Iyer. However, the twist is that KKR went in with Ajinkya Rahane as their captain, which did not pay off as the Knights finished a disappointing eighth. Rahane, as a result, might have to relinquish his captaincy, but who would replace him is a million-dollar question. Other than Venkatesh, KKR have Manish Pandey, Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell to pick from.

Rajasthan Royals (RR)

With Sanju Samson all but set to leave RR, it opens the doors for the franchise to ring in a new era under a new leader. Samson has been with RR since 2018, but is reportedly open to a trade deal. We saw Riyan Parag lead the franchise when Samson was injured in IPL 2025, and he could very well be named their permanent captain in 2026. If not Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal too seems to be a feasible long-term option.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

While MS Dhoni has been the face of CSK right from the first season, the baton was passed on to Ruturaj Gaikwad in IPL 2025. However, an injury to Gaikwad meant that Dhoni was back in charge of the side. While Gaikwad is still the official captain, he won just one of the five matches in charge. Dhoni, as a result, might once again get a chance to lead the franchise, unless Samson comes in via a trade deal, as heavily rumoured.