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When Ruturaj Gaikwad stepped out for the toss in the IPL 2024 season opener against RCB for the coin toss, it marked the end of an era for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The charismatic keeper-batter MS Dhoni relinquished the captaincy just before the captain's pre-season photoshoot.
No one expected any twists before the season opener, let alone a classic Dhoni announcement.
For the first time since the inception of the IPL, there was no Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, or Rohit Sharma at the annual pre-cursor with the trophy.
Over the years, the trio have been the faces of the tournament, and with age catching them, a change of guard was inevitable. But considering the mega auction after this cycle, teams started the transition a bit early, and rightly so.
With that being said, IPL 2024 will see many players making their debut as captains, with the average match for the captains (26) being the lowest in recent years.
On that note, let's evaluate the experience of the captain of each franchise going to feature in the IPL 2024.
Experience of all IPL 2024 captains
#10 SunRisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (0 match)
Australian captain Pat Cummins, who has won almost everything in the past one and a half years, has been rewarded with the captaincy of the SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024.
Cummins has been playing in the IPL for many years, but this will be the first time he will lead a team. With all-round abilities, the 30-year-old will look to take SRH to the playoffs.
#9 Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (0 match)
After Hardik Pandya was traded to the Mumbai Indians, the Gujarat Titans named young Indian opener Shubman Gill as their skipper for the IPL 2024.
It's going to be the first time that Gill will lead any side on any level, let alone in the IPL. In the absence of Hardik and Mohammed Shami, he has his task cut out for the season.
#8 Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (1 match)
With Dhoni passing the captaincy baton to the young shoulders of Ruturaj Gaikwad, it was always going to be a huge shoe to fill for the youngster.
But Gaikwad aced the challenge like he belonged to the level with some great field settings in the IPL 2024 season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
He brought the deep backward point fielder too straight for Faf du Plessis, leaving the deep extra cover region empty to invite the lofted drive. In the end, CSK secured a six-wicket victory over RCB.
#7 Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (23 matches)
Punjab Kings have once again shown faith in the experienced left-hand opener Shikhar Dhawan to lead their side in IPL 2024.
Punjab bought Dhawan in the mega auction in 2022 and made him their skipper. So far, Dhawan has led the team in 23 matches, with only nine wins to his credit. Recently, the southpaw led the team to a four-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024.
#6 Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Faf du Plessis (27 matches)
The perennial under-achievers Royal Challengers Bengaluru would be hoping for a repeat of their women's team heroics under Faf du Plessis in the IPL 2024.
Since IPL 2022, Faf has led RCB in 27 matches, winning 14 matches, and has one playoff qualification to his credit.
With a change in management, fans would be hoping for a change in fortunes for the side.
#5 Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (31 matches)
The dynamic skipper of the Delhi Capitals, Rishabh Pant, has led the team since 2021.
After missing out on the entire IPL 2023 due to an unfortunate car accident, Pant led the side in their 2024 opener against Punjab Kings. Unfortunately, the Kings chased down the target of 175 and won the game by four wickets.
#4 Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (31 matches)
Hardik Pandya is the only captain featuring in IPL 2024 who has won an IPL trophy leading a side. Hardik led the Gujarat Titans to their maiden tournament win in their very first appearance in IPL 2022.
Over two seasons, Hardik led GT in 31 matches, where he won 22 matches and took the side into the finals on both occasions.
#3. Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (45 matches)
Rajasthan Royals have always been a side that invests in youngsters and grooms their skills in the IPL, which saw Sanju Samson ascend to the ranks to become the captain of the side in the IPL 2021.
Since then, Samson has led RR in 45 matches, with 22 wins under his belt. It was Samson's astute captaincy that RR reached the finals in 2022 for the first time since 2008.
#2 Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (51 matches)
KL Rahul has played 51 IPL matches as a captain and is the second most experienced leader going into the IPL 2024.
Rahul led Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and Lucknow Super Giants to wins in 25 matches.
With him returning from injury and most likely batting in the middle order, LSG fans would be hoping to see a fresh and aggressive version of Rahul, not only in his batting but also in his tactics.
#1 Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (55 matches)
One of the most formidable sides in IPL 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) skipper Shreyas Iyer is the most experienced captain in the tournament this year, with 27 wins in 55 matches under his sleeve as captain.
He has led Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and KKR since making his captaincy debut in the IPL 2018 when then-Delhi captain Gautam Gambhir dropped himself from the team.
