The 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League will kick off on 31st March, with the first match between defending champions Gujarat Titans and four-time winners Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, and will continue until 28th May, when the final is scheduled to be played.
While there are mostly familiar names and faces that will be leading the franchises this season, there are some new players too who have taken up the reins for the first time. Here, we shall take a look at the players leading each of the 10 franchises in IPL 2023.
Hardik Pandya - Gujarat Titans
The Indian all-rounder enjoyed a highly successful stint as captain of the Gujarat Titans last season, as he led them to the title in their maiden season. Pandya finished as the Titans' highest run-scorer with 487 runs to his name at an average of 44.27. He also claimed eight wickets, including a match-winning spell of 3/17 in the final against Rajasthan Royals. Pandya will be looking to enjoy an equally successful campaign this time to help his team defend their title.
KL Rahul - Lucknow Super Giants
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter switched his allegiance from Punjab Kings to Lucknow Super Giants last season. Although he couldn't lead his team to the title like Pandya, Lucknow did make it to the playoffs, which was quite an achievement in their maiden season. Rahul also enjoyed a brilliant tournament in terms of individual perspective. He finished as the second highest run-scorer with 616 runs to his name at an average of 51.33. He will be leading the Super Giants in IPL 2023 once again.
MS Dhoni - Chennai Super Kings
The legendary former India skipper has turned 41, but he is still going strong in the IPL circuit. Chennai Super Kings will line up in IPL 2023 under his leadership yet again, and Dhoni will be looking to help them to a much better outing this time, after their disappointing performance in IPL 2022. He scored 232 runs at an average of 33.14 in the last IPL season. The way he has been gearing up in practice, it looks like he is going to enjoy an even better season with the bat this time.
Faf du Plessis - Royal Challengers Bangalore
Du Plessis took over as captain of RCB from Virat Kohli last season, and he enjoyed a pretty successful campaign. The South African led them to the playoffs, and got eliminated only in the Eliminator. Apart from that, he fired with the bat throughout the tournament, scoring 468 runs at an average of 31.20. Du Plessis has an excellent ability to read the game and is known for his unorthodox tactics. The 38-year-old will be looking to lead his team all the way to the final this time.
Rohit Sharma - Mumbai Indians
The India skipper and also the most successful captain in IPL history, with five titles to his name, will be seen leading the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023 once again. The last season turned out to be pretty poor for him, both in terms of his batting and the team's fortunes. Mumbai finished right at the bottom of the table and Rohit ended up with only 268 runs to his name, at an dismal average of 19.14. The 35-year-old will be looking for an improved performance on both aspects this season.
Sanju Samson - Rajasthan Royals
He has emerged as one of the most loved Indian cricketers over the last couple of years, and he also went on to enjoy a highly successful campaign last time. Samson amassed 458 runs last season and also led his team to the final. Throughout the season, he displayed an excellent temperament and tactical genius that kept helping his team edge past opponents in close encounters. Samson has already established himself as one of the best Indian Captains in the IPL, and he will be looking to prove that again in IPL 2023.
Shikhar Dhawan - Punjab Kings
The veteran India batter isn't a first-choice player for the Indian team anymore, but he still remains one of the best batters in the IPL circuit. Dhawan is also set to lead Punjab Kings this season, after Mayank Agarwal was released by the franchise ahead of this campaign. The southpaw hasn't really led any team for a full campaign in any edition, so this season is going to be pretty exciting to watch. The 37-year-old finished as the highest run-getter for Punjab Kings in IPL 2022, with 460 runs to his name at an average of 38.22.
Aiden Markram - Sunrisers Hyderabad
The South African has emerged as one of the best all-format players in the last couple of years. Markram also found success in the recently concluded SA20 as he successfully led the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the title. As a result, he was elevated into the position of South Africa's white-ball captain, and the Sunrisers management also decided to make him the Hyderabad skipper for IPL 2023. Markram played for SRH last season, and he enjoyed a pretty good outing with the bat. He amassed 381 runs at an excellent average of 47.62.
Nitish Rana - Kolkata Knight Riders
The left-handed batter has been an integral part of the Kolkata Knight Riders since 2018, and he has been elevated to the position of captain this season as their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer is sidelined with injury. This isn't Rana's first stint as captain, though. He has led his state-side Delhi in domestic white-ball tournaments, and will be looking to use that experience here. As far as his IPL record goes, Rana has amassed 2181 runs in 91 matches, at a good average of 28.32. That included 15 scores of fifty or more.
David Warner - Delhi Capitals
With Rishabh Pant ruled out of the entire season after a terrible car accident earlier this year, veteran Australia batter David Warner is all set to lead the Capitals in IPL 2023. This isn't Warner's first stint as captain, though. He served as the Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper from 2015 to 2021, and also led them to win the title in 2016. Warner has already proven himself as one of the best leaders in IPL history, and he will be looking to lead Delhi to success in this campaign. Warner also boasts of an excellent batting record in the IPL. The southpaw has amassed 5881 runs in 162 matches at an average of 42.01. That includes four centuries and 55 fifties as well.