From MS Dhoni To Virat Kohli: Players From Inaugural IPL 2008 Season Who Will Play In IPL 2025

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The Indian Premier League (IPL) has completed 17 years since its inception in 2008. Over the years, it has transformed cricket, making T20 the most popular format globally. Introduced by the BCCI under Lalit Modi's leadership, the IPL was inspired by franchise-based leagues like the NBA and EPL.

Each season has added to IPL's legacy with unforgettable moments. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have the joint-most titles (5) in the history of the competition and over the years, we have been witnessed to a plethora of Indian and international cricketers, who all went onto become huge stars in world cricket.

Ahead of the 2025 edition, we look back at the players, who all featured in the inaugural edition and now will be brushing shoulders against the best 17 years later as well.

1) Virat Kohli: One of the best batters in the world and clearly one of the finest in the history of the sport. Kohli started his journey with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2008 and since then he never played for any other franchise. His loyalty towards the team makes him a fan favourite and the IPL played a huge role in making him the legendary player he is today. As he is coming towards the fag end of his career, he would definitely look to sign off with the IPL crown, something which eluded him over the years.

2) Rohit Sharma: Arguably one of the best batters in the history of Indian and world cricket and he is an all-time great in the cash-rich league. Rohit has led the Mumbai franchise to 5 IPL wins as captain and even though he is not the skipper anymore, he keeps on churning out big runs with the bat. Before joining Mumbai Indians, he also won the IPL with now defunct Deccan Chargers.

3) MS Dhoni: Perhaps India's greatest-ever white-ball captain. Dhoni is an emotion to millions and has done wonders with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) both with the bat and as a captain for close to two decades. Just like Rohit, he has led the Yellow Army to 5 IPL titles and now as uncapped player for the upcoming season, he is once again ready to raise the roof at any stadium he'll be gracing, when he comes down to bat. For one season, when CSK were banned, he plied his trade for now defunct Rising Pune Supergiant side.

4) Ravichandran Ashwin: One of India's greatest spinners, Ravi Ashwin has always been a class act. He is a 2-time IPL winner with CSK and not only he is known for spinning a web, he is equally a handy resource, when it comes to scoring runs as well. Over the years he has played for 4 IPL teams apart from CSK- Rising Pune Supergiant, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals. In the 2025 edition, he will once again don the Yellow Jersey of his home town.

5) Ishant Sharma: Once a premier fast-bowler for the Indian side across formats, he still keeps on giving his best at the top-most level of T20 franchise cricket. He presently plies his trade for Delhi Capitals but apart from DC, he has also played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rising Pune Supergiant, Deccan Chargers (defunct) and Punjab Kings.

6) Manish Pandey: Pandey is one of the seasoned batters in the IPL. He made his mark for RCB in 2009 and after that he never looked back. He won the IPL twice in 2014 and 2024 with KKR and will aim for a third crown this season, with the Kolkata side. Apart from RCB and KKR, he has played for MI, Pune Warriors India (defunct), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders.

7) Ajinkya Rahane: Rahane few years back used to be one of the premium Test players for India. But he is still a prominent name in the IPL and is a big asset for any team he plays for. He has won the IPL twice with MI and CSK and this edition, he will be plying his trade for KKR, which will be his second stint and that too as a captain. Apart from MI and CSK, he is known for his time at Rajasthan Royals and had short spells at Rising Pune Super Giant and Delhi Capitals.

8) Swapnil Singh: Part of Virat Kohli-led India's U19 World Cup-winning squad, all-rounder Swapnil was first seen for Mumbai Indians in 2008. After an 8-year gap, he was seen with Punjab Kings. It took him another six years after 2017 to make his IPL comeback. He joined Lucknow Super Giants in 2023 before joining RCB in 2024. There was a time but when he decided to quit the game but his 2024 heroics for Bengaluru has earned him a spot for the upcoming season as well.