With MS Dhoni’s departure as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings, the Indian Premier League (IPL) may have come to an end since the last connection from the league’s founding to the present has been made. It’s possible that Dhoni will go down in IPL history as the captain with the most captaincy (226 matches). But in light of today’s events, Shreyas Iyer is now the skipper with the greatest experience for the IPL 2024 season. This change may mark the beginning of a new chapter in the 2008-launched IPL.
Iyer has captained the Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders in 55 games and has led two teams. Among the current crop of captains, he has the most experience having begun his captaincy journey in 2018. If Iyer hadn’t missed the entire previous season due to a back injury, his tally would have been higher. With 51 games (from the 2020 season, playing for LSG and Punjab Kings), KL Rahul is not far behind, and Sanju Samson of the Rajasthan Royals has led his team in 45 games since taking over in 2021.
With 158 matches under his belt, Rohit Sharma would have been the most seasoned captain in the IPL this year, but he will no longer be leading the Mumbai Indians. Rather, Hardik Pandya, who has only led in 31 games, has assumed the role. When the Gujarat Titans joined the IPL in 2022 as part of its expansion, Pandya took over as captain for the first time.
One of the IPL’s veteran guards, Venky Mysore, commented on the generational shift: “The baton is being passed on, the new generation is well and truly taking over.” The Dhonis, the (Virat) Kohlis (143 for RCB), and the (Gautam) Gambhirs (129 for KKR and DC) have all gone on. These captains are the ones who adjusted to Twenty20 cricket. The format has grown up with the Iyers, Sanjus, Rahuls, and (Rishabh) Pants (30 for DC).
Mysore means that Shreyas (30) was 14 years old in 2008, the year the IPL began. The younger generation, like many of his peers, was raised in the format, in contrast to Dhoni, Gambhir, and Kohli, as well as Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and VVS Laxman, who all had to adjust to it. “They were raised in the T20 environment. In addition to pointing out that Rohit Sharma has also successfully adjusted to the format, Mysore, who assumed leadership of Knight Riders in 2011, stated that “the older generations were undoubtedly very good captains, but some of them struggled too.”
With new captains assuming leadership, he envisions an entirely different approach to the IPL. “Since they have experienced and competed at every level, I anticipate a novel approach. The game has evolved significantly, the skill levels have shifted, and the league is under capable hands,” he said.
Mysore also emphasized the IPL’s expansion as a league and a brand. “The IPL has expanded too. Its improvement as a product has been substantial. The caliber of cricket as a league is excellent. There is not much of a difference between Indian and international players. For example, in the WPL, teams with talented international players have a chance to succeed. It’s not the case with the IPL. The level of play in the men’s game has increased. It’s been an amazing tournament,” he said.
PRESIDENT’S OFFICE
55 – KSR’s Shreyas Iyer — 2018–2022
51-KL Rahul (LSG) — from 2020 to 2023
45 – Samson Sanju (RR) — 2021–2023
31 – Michigan’s Hardik Pandya — 2022–2023
Thirty-Ninesha Pant (DC) — 2021–2022
27-RCB’s Faf du Plessis — 2022–2023
22 – 2014–2023 Shikhar Dhawan (PBKS)
In the IPL, Pat Cummins (SRH), Shubman Gill (GT), and Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK) will be captains for the first time.
