IPL 2025 countdown: Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals yet to announce their captains

Dubai: With less than a month to go until IPL 2025, most teams have locked in their captains and begun fine-tuning their squads. But Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals are yet to name their leaders, leaving fans guessing who will take charge when the season kicks off on March 22 at Eden Gardens.

Shreyas Iyer led KKR last season, while Rishabh Pant captained Delhi. However, neither player was retained by their franchise, with KL Rahul also parting ways with Lucknow Super Giants. While Pant and Rahul have swapped teams — Pant now leading the Super Giants—KKR and Delhi remain undecided on who will step up as captain.

Delhi keep their cards close

Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani, who led GMR Group-owned Dubai Capitals to their first DP World ILT20 title in Dubai earlier this month, was not forthcoming in identifying the new leader.

"The decision has not been made regarding the captaincy. You’ll have to wait to hear from the GMR management," the former Indian all-rounder told Gulf News.

All-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought back for a massive Rs237.5 million during the auction, is one of the top contenders for the job at KKR. Along with former India captain Ajinkya Rahane, Iyer is considered a potential candidate to lead the franchise into IPL 2025.

Among the international options, former South African skipper Quinton de Kock, and KKR stalwarts Andre Russell and Sunil Narine could also be in the running. Yet, Venkatesh Iyer’s readiness for the role stands out.

Venkatesh Iyer backs himself for the leadership role

“Definitely. Definitely, I’m ready,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “Again, I’ve always said this: captaincy is just a tag. I believe in leadership. That is a bigger role to play, being a leader,” the Madhya Pradesh star said.

“You don’t necessarily need the tag of a captain to be a leader in your dressing room. You need to be a good role model, which I am doing right now in Madhya Pradesh. I’m not the captain of the Madhya Pradesh team, but my opinions are respected, and I really love to be in an atmosphere where every individual — again, new or experienced, 20 lakhs (2 million), 20 crore (200 million), whatever — just needs to have the freedom to voice their opinion. Or just needs to have the freedom to give opinions and suggestions and for them to be taken in the right spirit.

“I’ve always wanted to be that person. And if captaincy comes my way, I would definitely want to do it. There’s no ambiguity surrounding this. I’ll definitely do it if it comes my way. There is no reason not to do it.”

The clock is ticking for KKR and Delhi

As the countdown to the new season ticks away, both KKR and Delhi's leadership decisions loom large. With just weeks left before IPL 2025 begins, the franchises face mounting pressure to finalise their captains. Will KKR back homegrown talent like Iyer, or opt for experience? Will Delhi spring a surprise after keeping their cards close to their chest?

For now, the wait continues — but the clock is running out.