In the last few weeks, the reports have revealed strong news on the potential retention list of all ten franchises before the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). It was highlighted that the long-time captain of the Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, would have made his flight to Chennai to feature for the Super Kings. But that seems unlikely now.

Sanju Samson, who has smashed an overall 4704 runs in 172 innings of the IPL at an average of 30.94 and a strike rate of 139.04 with three centuries and 26 half-centuries at the best score of 119 runs, is likely to stay with the franchise. The wicket-keeper opening batter has spent his time with the Royals since 2018 and has been one of the most important members of the side.

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Last season, he didn’t enjoy a great time on and off the field with 265 runs in nine innings at an average of 35.62 and a strike rate of 140.39 with one fifty at the best score of 66. When he was out of the side, Riyan Parag took the responsibility of leadership.

RR to extend Sanju Samson and Kumar Sangakkara’s contract for IPL 2026

Apart from that 2025 season, Samson, who retained his position in the Indian T20I side for the Asia Cup 2025, starting on September 09, has crossed the 300-run mark in every season for the 2008 champions. That’s the consistency Royals wanted. Along with him, RR’s head coach, Kumar Sangakkara, is also likely to get a contract extension for the franchise in 2026.

Many reports claimed that the former Sri Lanka captain was likely to leave the franchise with the Kolkata Knight Riders, and a few other sides were keeping an eye on that. But after Rahul Dravid decides to leave the side after 2025, that speculation can be erased.

Rajasthan had a tough time in 2025 as they failed to qualify for the playoffs of the tournament. They finished at the penultimate position of the points table with four wins and 10 defeats in 14 fixtures at a net run rate of -0.647. Both halves of the event were divided into two wins and five defeats during the IPL 2025.  

Another pace bowling all-rounder from Mumbai started to get noticed from this year's T20 Mumbai League. Sairaj Patil is considered as one of the serious talents from the state when IPL franchises are looking for some fresh, uncapped Indian talents.

Patil got the best player of the tournament award from Rohit Sharma because of his standout performances both with the bat and with the ball. Rather than the bowling skills, it was Patil's six hitting abilities that helped him to come under several IPL franchise scanners. Using a strong bottom hand, the right-handed batter can smash huge over-boundaries even on yorkers and low full tosses.

The fan of MS Dhoni scored 233 runs, the third highest of the tournament, at an average of 58.25 in 6 matches of the T20 Mumbai League 2025. To accumulate this amount of runs, with an average strike rate of 150.32, he thrashed 14 boundaries and 16 over-boundaries. Patil is one of the few cricketers who can precisely play Dhoni's trademarkhelicopter shot. Parallely, while representing Eagle Thane Strikers, Sairaj took 7 wickets in 5 matches as well at an amazing economy rate of 7.35.

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Will he get a chance to shine in IPL?

After Shivam Dube and Suryansh Shedge, Patil has the potential to become the next star all-rounder from Mumbai. His all-round skills earned him three Player-of-the-Match awards in six games and ultimately the Man of the Tournament award. His recent state-level success can easily attract interest from various IPL franchises ahead of IPL 2026. 

"I had prepped very well before the start of the tournament, and I was dominating Mumbai cricket for the last two years, and I was part of the Mumbai white-ball squad for [the 50-over] Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, but I was not getting chances. I built up a lot of patience, perseverance, and the grit to do well in every game I get, and while I was playing Mumbai cricket, I had the hunger to score in each and every game and dominate in all groups," Sairaj said to ESPNcricinfo. 

Scouts of IPL franchises have been keeping their eyes on various T20 tournaments across the globe. Teams that faced setbacks in IPL 2025 will have to undergo transformation by signing some new names in their squad ahead of IPL 2026.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the IPL 2024 winner who failed to qualify for the playoffs in the previous IPL season, has clear intentions to rope in multiple raw talents, including uncapped Indian cricketers. A recent report about KKR's possible team build-up process highly suggested that they have interest in the highest run scorer of the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2025. Tushar Raheja was the highest run getter in TNPL 2025 for the Tiruppur Tamizhans.

The emerging keeper-batter scored 488 runs in 9 matches at a batting average of 61.00. He smashed 5 half-centuries and maintained an average strike rate of 185.55 in the process. Raheja, with his batting abilities, easily attracted attention from cricket fraternities. When the Tiruppur Tamizhans faced the star-studded Dindigul Dragons in the TNPL 2025 final, the 24-year-old played a match-winning 77-run knock, which came against world-class bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin and Varun Chakravarthy.

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Why KKR should sign Raheja?

According to recent claims, a KKR scout suggested Tushar Raheja's name to the team management. As keeper-batter, KKR trusted Quinton De Kock and Rahmatullah Gurbaz in IPL 2025, but they misfired. Without any doubts, the Kolkata-based franchise needs a prolific wicketkeeper who can add value with the bat also. Raheja fits for the role. He is young, he is talented, and he is in form. As of now, he is considered a strong contender to get a new contract paper from Kolkata Knight Riders. 

Kolkata Knight Riders were the defending champion side in IPL 2025; they could not make their way to the round of four. KKR concluded their season in the 8th spot of the points table with only 5 wins in 14 matches.

The former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), N Srinivasan, has begun his second innings in the game as he has become the chairman of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cricket-limited, the company that has been the joint-most successful franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with five titles.

Srinivasan and his daughter, Rupa Gurunath, joined the CSKCL board for the very first time in February this year. In the annual report of the board in 2025, it was revealed that N Srinivasan would take over as the chairman of the company in May from his cousin, R Srinivasan. Rupa, on the other hand, was made the director just a week ago.

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The reports came more than a year after the India Cements, who are the founder owners of the Super Kings, sold their cement business to Ultra Tech Cement. Even though Srinivasan was the soul and brain behind the formation and repeated success of the side in 2008, he never held any official post of the franchise.

N Srinivasan returns to cricket administration of CSK ahead of IPL 2026

Despite the foundation and the success of the side, the allegations of conflict of interest did take their toll on the business tycoon’s cricket administrative career, as he would have to leave the post of president when the spot-fixing scandal was at its peak during the 2013 season. The franchise was, later, suspended for two seasons in 2016 and 2017.

Later, Srinivasan became the ICC chairman, and his entire group ran the show in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) till 2015. However, his links with the Chennai Super Kings weighed heavily against him. Now, in the second innings, the franchise will aim to offer better performance with bat and ball.

Ravichandran Ashwin, who joined the Indian Cements late in the year in June, got the chance to play for CSK in what turned out to be his last edition in the league as he retired from Indian cricket in all forms. There are fresh but normal speculations of whether their former captain, MS Dhoni, would be back for the franchise from the next season.

New Zealand’s wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert has been in sublime touch during the 2025 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), delivering match-winning knocks for St Lucia Kings. His fearless approach at the crease has made him one of the standout players this season.

He etched his name in CPL history by smashing a joint-fastest century, achieved in just 40 balls. He went on to remain unbeaten with a scintillating 125 from just 53 balls, smashing 10 boundaries and nine sixes against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.

So far in the tournament, Seifert has accumulated 277 runs across five innings, maintaining a staggering average of 69.25 and a strike rate of 178.70, featuring one half-century and a memorable century.

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Ravichandran Ashwin Suggests CSK can Show Interest to Tim Seifert:

Capitalizing on Tim Seifert’s remarkable CPL form, ex-India and CSK spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared a video on his YouTube channel on Monday, September 1. In the clip, Ashwin hinted that Chennai Super Kings could show interest in signing the New Zealand wicketkeeper during the 2026 IPL auction, suggesting his current form makes him a strong potential target.

He said, “ I get a small feeling whether CSK would be tempted to go for Tim Seifert. If you look at CSK’s history, they like to go with an experienced player in the opening slot. In case there is no Devon Conway or Rachin Ravindra, and they look to take a different route and go in search of an overseas opening batter, then there is a New Zealand-New Zealand connection.”

He further said, “ He has the experience. He is a very good fielder. He can keep if needed. Wherever he has played the T20 format, his game has gone up. I feel if not CSK, some other franchise will surely pick him.”

Reasons Why CSK Should Look for Tim Seifert in IPL 2026:

With Ashwin suggesting CSK should target Tim Seifert, it becomes important to assess the possible advantages of such a move. Here are three compelling reasons why the five-time IPL winners should consider adding the New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter to their squad during the 2026 auction, given his recent form and versatile batting ability.

• Tim Seifert’s batting style adapts well to Chepauk’s spin-friendly pitches

One big factor that could draw Chennai Super Kings (CSK) toward Tim Seifert is his strong batting ability against spin. Over the years, the franchise has been known for creating turning pitches at their home base, the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Interestingly, in the past few seasons, pacers have enjoyed more success than spinners on this ground. This shift might push CSK to revert to spin-friendly conditions once again. If that happens, Seifert’s comfort and fluency against slow bowlers could make him a valuable asset for the five-time IPL champions in the coming years.

If CSK lean back towards spin-friendly conditions, Tim Seifert could be a smart pick. His T20 record against spinners speaks for itself, having scored 1,635 runs in 121 innings at an average of 37.2 while striking at 130. In 2025, he looked even sharper, piling up 306 runs against spin at a strike rate of 150.7. 

His dominance has been on full display in the CPL 2025, where the 30-year-old smashed 149 runs in just four innings, averaging 149 with a staggering strike rate of 196.1. Such numbers highlight his reliability against slow bowlers.

• Extensive exposure in international cricket and global T20 leagues

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have a history of trusting experienced campaigners, and Tim Seifert matches that profile well. Since his T20I debut for New Zealand in 2018, the wicketkeeper-batter has represented his country in 71 matches. Over this period, he has compiled 1,736 runs at an average of 29.42, striking at 142.29, with 12 half-centuries to his name.

Apart from representing New Zealand, Seifert has consistently showcased his skills across multiple T20 franchise leagues around the globe. He has featured in 282 games, amassing 6,465 runs in 260 innings. His overall record includes a steady average of 28.60 and a healthy strike rate of 134.18, along with 31 fifties and four centuries, his best being an unbeaten 125.

• Seifert’s presence offers Ruturaj Gaikwad freedom in batting order

One of Tim Seifert’s biggest strengths is his adaptability in the batting lineup. The New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter has the ability to open or shift into the middle order, which gives Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad more freedom to settle into his preferred role.

During the 2025 IPL season, Gaikwad played a few matches at No. 3 before his campaign was cut short by injury. Having Seifert in the squad would give CSK greater flexibility to adjust their batting order if similar challenges arise in the future.

Beyond his batting, Seifert is also a dependable wicketkeeper. This dual skillset makes him an ideal option for CSK, especially if MS Dhoni decides to retire before IPL 2026.

Former India international Ravichandran Ashwin suggested Chennai Super Kings (CSK) go for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert.

The New Zealand keeper-batter has been in great form in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2025) by scoring 277 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 178.71. Seifert recently smashed a 40-ball century in the tournament to register his name in the history book as the joint-fastest century in CPL.

Ashwin, who recently retired from IPL as well, opined that the 30-year-old can be a good fit for CSK for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). The five-time IPL-winning franchise has the tendency to cash in for experienced overseas cricketers who can bat in the upper front of their batting lineup; additionally, their love for Kiwis is also well known.

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"If you look at CSK’s history, they like to go with an experienced player in the opening slot," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

A keeper in place of MS Dhoni

With the experience of playing over 280 T20 games and scoring 6,465 runs in total, Seifert's stat card is looking well enough to represent Chennai Super Kings. Last season (IPL 2025), Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway failed to play according to the expectations. If they decide to release one of the batters, then, automatically, there will be a vacant place for an overseas cricketer in the team. As an opener in 2025, Tim has scored 1,047 runs in 31 innings at an average of 37.39 and a strike rate of 159.84, including one century and 4 fifties across T20 leagues and international T20Is.

Another thing is that CSK needs someone who can serve the team for a long time with the wicketkeeping gloves. As of now, Tim Seifert is looking for the best possible option, someone who can be the best possible cricketer who can fill up all those gaps. 

Some shocking reports have emerged about the future of Rahul Dravid in the Indian Premier League (IPL). After parting ways with Rajasthan Royals (RR), the ICC T20I World Cup-winning coach is currently not associated with any other IPL franchise, which has made the speculations more intense on social media platforms.

 In a recently published media report, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have some serious interest in the experienced coach. Regarding that, there are no strong confirmations about that, but in the near future, some significant developments are expected. In a media report, it is claimed that KKR CEO Venky Mysore is currently in the West Indies to monitor the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

After his return to Mumbai from the West Indies, discussions about signing Rahul Dravid can move further. As of now, Rahul Dravid joining Kolkata Knight Riders remains as a possibility only. 

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A final call yet to come 

On Saturday (August 30, 2025), Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) announced the departure of Rahul Dravid ahead of the IPL 2026. Through a press release, the franchise informed, "Rahul has been central to the Royals’ journey over many years. His leadership has influenced a generation of players, built strong values within the squad, and left an indelible mark on the culture of the franchise. As part of the franchise structural review, Rahul had been offered a broader position at the franchise but has chosen not to take this."

Dravid's second spell with Rajasthan Royals was underwhelming. The former India captain served the team between 2011 and 2015 as player and coach before returning to the club for the IPL 2025 season right after winning the T20 World Cup title. But his comeback became short-lived as Dravid and Rajasthan Royals decided to separate. 

The internet has been buzzing with the news of Axar Patel, who is likely to be sacked as the captain of the Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL 2026 season. Although the franchise has shown signs of retaining the spin bowling all-rounder, the possibility of him continuing as the DC skipper appears slim.

In such a scenario, the Delhi-based outfit may be compelled to explore alternative captaincy options in the form of Faf du Plessis, KL Rahul, and Tristan Stubbs. In this article, we will look at the top three captaincy candidates who are likely to fill Axar's shoes ahead of the next IPL season. 

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Faf du Plessis

The veteran Proteas batter has a wealth of experience in competing in various franchise leagues around the world. In addition, the 41-year-old has led several notable franchises to success. He was appointed as RCB's skipper in 2022 and captained them for two years before stepping down. Under him, the Bangalore-based outfit made it to the 2024 playoffs. Elsewhere outside the IPL, Faf also endured a successful stint in the CPL by taking St Lucia Kings to their maiden CPL title win in 2024. Apart from CPL, the South African veteran also experienced a stellar run in MLC 2025. Leading the Texas Super Kings, Faf powdered the opposition with multiple centuries and took his side to a commanding position in the league.

Add to that, the South African southpaw has also captained the Proteas at the international level, leading his side in all three formats. Earlier in the IPL 2024 season, Faf served as a deputy to Axar. Faf's experience will be quite invaluable, and being the vice-captain of the team, he looks like the strongest contender to become the next captain of the Delhi Capitals ahead of the upcoming IPL season. 

KL Rahul

Indian all-format specialist batter KL Rahul is another formidable cricketing personality who can take over the captaincy baton from Axar ahead of the 19th IPL edition. Rahul is blessed with some strong captaincy credentials at his disposal. The Bangalore-based batter has so far captained two IPL franchises to this day—PBKS & LSG. His captaincy journey in the IPL began in 2020 with PBKS. Though PBKS struggled to make it to the top four, Rahul did not allow the burden of captaincy to affect his natural game. He finished the 2020 season as the highest run scorer with 670 runs to his name and slammed his best score of 132*, which was, at that time, the highest by an Indian in the IPL.

Then, in 2022, he switched his allegiance to LSG. Although he was ruled out midway through the 2023 season, Rahul was able to make a comeback a year later. However, LSG failed to deliver a promising performance under his leadership and crashed out prematurely from IPL 2024. Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of LSG, was visibly vexed to see the results, and Rahul was eventually sidelined from the squad ahead of IPL 2025. Although at first, Rahul declined to take over DC's captaincy ahead of the 2025 season, experts suggest he could change his mind as the next season looms large.

Tristan Stubbs

Tristan Stubbs, unlike his earlier predecessors, has age on his side. The South African batting all-rounder is currently in the midst of navigating the early phase of his IPL career. Although Stubbs has no credible captaincy experience under his belt, he is well known for being a key performer and a highly versatile player. Moreover, the Delhi Capitals assistant coach even went as far as describing him as a “player for the next five years”, thereby underscoring his growing importance to the team. His adaptability, backing himself in high-pressure moments, and tactical awareness have drawn praise, though always as a player and not as a leader. 

At age 25, and with growing visibility, leadership opportunities might not be far off if he continues on this trajectory. The combination of explosive batting, athleticism, and significant on-field contributions that he consistently showcases during crucial moments of a match may entice the DC management to move away from seasoned players and invest in the promising young all-rounder.

The craze and excitement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is already immense, and to grow it faster, the former opening batter, Aakash Chopra, has suggested five rule changes before IPL 2026. He opined that teams should be awarded a bonus point for registering huge wins, besides highlighting that it would excite the latter stage of the event. He felt a string of wins with bonus points would cover up the few defeats.

Along with that, Aakash Chopra advised that a substitute player should be allowed for a serious injury, as is done for a concussion. Being a flagbearer, just like restarting the saliva use, Chopra wants a replacement to be added for a serious injury.

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“It exists, but it is never exercised. That is a mid-season transfer. If you haven't put a player's name in your 16-player list, including the sub options, in the first eight matches, make him automatically available. Every team should mandatorily nominate three such players. Can you bring the unused resources to the table to uplift the tournament's standard?” The former opening batter expressed on the mid-season transfer acts.

Aakash Chopra seeks five changes of rule ahead of the 2026 season of IPL

The renowned commentator's marking should be used for the leg-sided wides, and it should be called a wide if it goes outside that point. The veteran also wondered if the BCCI could design the power surge rule from the Big Bash League, where the batting side can take two overs of powerplay at any portion of the innings.

“My fourth suggestion is about the leg-side wide. If you have watched attentively, there is a line far away from the stumps and another close to them. Can that line be kept as the wide mark?” The former Kolkata Knight Riders’ batter reckoned.

“The ball should be wide on the leg side only if it goes outside that. As soon as the ball goes minutely outside the leg stump, it's called a wide now. Sometimes you feel it's unfair because it's not unplayable.” Aakash Chopra concluded during a video on his YouTube channel.

Delhi Capitals (DC), just before the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), decided to appoint the left-arm Indian spin all-rounder, Axar Patel, as the new leader of the side. The veteran has been a crucial member of the franchise in balancing the squad and team selection with his four overs of bowling and the batting ability at the lower or middle order of the line-up.

Under Axar Patel’s leadership, Delhi finished in the fifth position in the points table. They won seven encounters out of 14 games at a net run rate of +0.011. It was a bizarre season for the franchise, which started its event with five wins in the first six games before facing four defeats in the five games towards the business end of the competition.

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Axar clubbed 263 runs at a strike rate of 157.48 in 11 innings of the IPL 2025, with the best score of 43 runs. Along with that, he picked up just five wickets in 11 innings at an average of 57.60 and an economy rate of 8.47, with the best bowling figure of 2/19 in an innings.

Delhi Capitals likely to search for new captain to replace Axar Patel

The Capitals had several experienced players in the side, including the former two captains from the league, Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul. The latter contributed immensely with the bat, having accumulated 539 runs in 13 innings of the IPL 2025 at an average of 53.60 and a strike rate of 149.72, with three half-centuries and one century.

Axar was decent in the job, but to expect batting, bowling, and fielding at the grey areas of the ground, and then to lead the side was an external job for the left-arm spinner. On the other hand, Rahul could be an option, having crossed the 500-run mark in the last eight seasons of the event apart from 2023.

Faf can also be an option in this department. However, fitness could be a concern for the former Protea batter, who missed a big chunk of the previous season of the event due to injury. Else, they can look for some other batter for the position, which is unlikely to happen.