IPL 2025: From Axar Patel To Hardik Pandya- 4 Indian All-Rounders To Captain Indian Premier League Teams

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IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals have officially named Axar Patel as their captain for the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the franchise confirmed in a statement on Friday.

Patel, who has been a crucial part of the Delhi setup since joining in 2019, was retained for a hefty sum of ₹16.50 crore.

Although he has limited captaincy experience in the IPL, Patel has previously led Gujarat in domestic cricket and also served as the vice-captain of India's T20I squad earlier this year. His leadership qualities and consistent performances with both bat and ball have earned him the trust of the franchise as they head into the new season with fresh hopes.

Here's a look at the India all-rounder captains apart from Axar, who have captained IPL franchises.

1) Hardik Pandya: Hardik Pandya has established himself as a formidable leader in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with an impressive record as captain. He made his captaincy debut in the IPL 2022 season with Gujarat Titans, leading the franchise in their inaugural campaign. Under his leadership, Gujarat Titans had a dream debut season, clinching the IPL 2022 title. His ability to lead from the front with both bat and ball earned him praise from all quarters.

Over two seasons (2022-2023) with Gujarat Titans, Pandya captained the team in 31 matches, securing 22 victories and maintaining a remarkable win percentage of 70.97. He once again guided GT to the final in IPL 2023, though they fell short against Chennai Super Kings.

Ahead of IPL 2024, Pandya made a high-profile return to Mumbai Indians, the franchise where he began his IPL career. He was named MI's new captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. As of now, he has led in 45 IPL matches across both franchises, winning 26 of them and losing 19, with a win percentage of 57.77.

2) Ravindra Jadeja: Jaddu had a brief and challenging stint as the captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. He was handed the captaincy ahead of the tournament, taking over from the legendary MS Dhoni. However, his tenure lasted only eight matches, during which CSK struggled to find form.

Under Jadeja's leadership, CSK managed only two wins in eight games, suffering six defeats, resulting in a win percentage of just 25.00%. The team found it difficult to maintain its usual dominance, and Jadeja himself seemed burdened by the additional leadership responsibilities, which affected his personal performances with both bat and ball.

Midway through the season, Jadeja stepped down as captain, and the reins were handed back to Dhoni. Shortly after, Jadeja was ruled out of the remainder of the season due to injury.

3) Krunal Pandya: Hardik Pandya's elder brother had a short yet eventful stint as captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) during the IPL 2023 season. He was handed the leadership role mid-season after KL Rahul suffered an injury that ruled him out of the tournament.

Under Krunal's captaincy, LSG played six matches, winning three, losing two, and having one match end without a result, giving him a win percentage of 50.00%. Despite stepping into the leadership role unexpectedly, Krunal managed to guide the team to the IPL playoffs, showcasing his ability to handle pressure in a crucial phase of the tournament.