5 IPL captains who didn't get a chance to lead Team India

Fans are eagerly waiting for the 18th season of the IPL to get underway. Right ahead of the IPL 2025, which is set to start from March 21, let's have a look at the list of five high-profile players who led their respective IPL teams but couldn't become India captain

1. Shreyas Iyer

Former KKR captain and current PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer has enjoyed considerable success as an IPL captain. He holds the record of being the only Indian captain to win the IPL title. However, he has yet to lead the Indian national team in any format. Iyer's IPL captaincy journey began with the Delhi Capitals in the 2018 season, culminating in a final appearance for his team in the 2020 season.

He subsequently led the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2022 and 2024 seasons, leading them to title triumph in previous edition.  Across his 70 IPL matches as captain, Iyer has led his teams to victory in 40 games, while his teams have suffered 29 losses. One match resulted in no result.  Should his strong performances as a leader continue, it's plausible that he could be considered for Indian captaincy, particularly in ODIs, where he is a regular member of the squad.

2. Sanju Samson

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has yet to lead the Indian national team in any format. He has been at the helm of the Rajasthan Royals since 2021, guiding them to the IPL final in the 2022 season. In his 61 matches as captain of the Royals, he has secured 31 wins and suffered 29 losses, with one game ending in no result.  Samson has also shown significant growth as a batter, particularly since taking on the leadership role. The 2024 IPL season was arguably Samson's best with the bat, and this increased maturity has translated to his international performances as well, highlighted by his three T20I centuries in recent times. While he is clearly developing as a cricketer, international captaincy has so far eluded him.  It remains to be seen how his captaincy prospects will unfold in the future.

3. Ravindra Jadeja

Chennai Super Kings stalwart Ravindra Jadeja has been a consistent and impactful player for India across all formats for over a decade. Throughout his career, he has witnessed transitions at both the international level and in the IPL. However, despite his success as a player, captaincy has eluded him.

For a considerable period, he was considered a potential successor to MS Dhoni at CSK. When he finally got the opportunity to lead the team in the 2020 season, his tenure was unsuccessful. In his eight matches as captain, Jadeja managed only two wins and was subsequently removed from the leadership role mid-season.

Five years have passed since then, and Jadeja has not captained either India or CSK again.  He appears destined to be one of those star players who, despite their talent and achievements, will conclude their careers without having captained their country.

4. Yuvraj Singh

Former India's superstar all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was a legend in white-ball cricket, playing a pivotal role in India's title triumphs in both the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup. However, despite his massive contributions to Indian cricket, he never had the opportunity to captain the national team. Singh led Kings XI Punjab in the 2008 IPL season, captaining in 43 matches. His record as captain in the IPL was balanced, with 21 wins and 21 losses, and one no-result. While he served as the vice-captain for India during the 2007 T20 World Cup and other bilateral series, he was never appointed as the captain of the national side, marking a notable absence in his otherwise illustrious career.

5. Ravichandran Ashwin

India's legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, despite his reputation as a strategist and his keen cricketing mind, never had the opportunity to captain the Men in Blue. Many consider him to possess one of the sharpest minds in the game. He captained Kings XI Punjab during the 2018 and 2019 IPL seasons, achieving 12 wins out of 28 matches. His 16 losses as captain were often attributed to his tendency to experiment with his numerous tactical ideas. Ashwin has been a mainstay of India's Test team, and many believe he could have excelled as captain in the longest format of the game but recently he called it quits to the international cricket.