The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League is set to begin on March 28, with Royal Challengers Bangalore entering the season as the defending champions. As always, the tournament promises high-intensity competition with franchises aiming to dominate the league with a fresh team setup.
While some teams have retained the core of their previous squads, others have made significant changes to strengthen their lineups. Leadership plays an important role in a competitive tournament like IPL. Many franchises have retained their captains, while some have appointed new leaders ahead of the season.
Over the years, legendary captains like MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have set high standards with their leadership and contributions to their teams. Additionally, a new generation of players has stepped up to take on leadership roles. However, injuries, workload management, or other unexpected circumstances may sometimes force captains to leave the game. In such a scenario, it becomes extremely important for any franchise to have a reliable backup captain.
Here are the team-wise backup captains for each franchise in IPL 2026:
Chennai Super Kings – Sanju Samson
Chennai Super Kings make headlines by trading ahead of 2026 season sanju samson From Rajasthan Royals. It was considered one of the biggest trades in IPL history. The team will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, who previously captained the team.
Gaikwad had led CSK last season but was out for some time due to injury, during which MS Dhoni led the team. With Gaikwad back as captain, Samson's leadership experience makes him a strong candidate to act as the backup captain. Samson had previously captained Rajasthan Royals and led them to the final of the 2022 IPL season. Overall, he has scored 4704 runs in 177 IPL matches.
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