IPL 2025 to Introduce New Salary Structure, Major Leadership Changes in Teams
The 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to kick off on March 22, 2025, bringing a host of new developments. This season, players will receive match fees in addition to their auction price, marking a historic first in the tournament’s 17-year history. Several teams have new captains, and one franchise has undergone a change in ownership.
Let’s take a look at all the major changes in IPL 2025.
1. What’s New in IPL 2025?
For the first time in IPL history, players will receive match fees apart from their auction price. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced this system to incentivize player participation and reward performances.
For example, Mumbai Indians’ Robin Minz, bought for ₹65 lakh, will earn ₹7.50 lakh per match. If he plays all 14 matches, his match fees alone will total ₹1.05 crore, taking his total earnings for the season to ₹1.70 crore.
This move is expected to enhance player motivation and bring IPL closer to international cricket payment structures.
2. Five Teams Get New Captains: Shubman Gill Youngest, Rahane Oldest
This season, five franchises will have new captains. For the first time since 2019, only one foreign player is leading an IPL team—Pat Cummins for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The rest nine captains are Indian.
The average age of IPL 2025 captains is 30 years. Gujarat Titans’ Shubman Gill (25 years) is the youngest captain, while Ajinkya Rahane (36 years) of Kolkata Knight Riders is the oldest.
List of New Captains in IPL 2025:
- Axar Patel (Delhi Capitals) – Retained for ₹16.50 crore, replaces Rishabh Pant.
- Ajinkya Rahane (Kolkata Knight Riders) – Takes over from Shreyas Iyer, has prior IPL captaincy experience.
- Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants) – The most expensive IPL captain ever (₹27 crore), replaces KL Rahul.
- Shreyas Iyer (Punjab Kings) – Bought for ₹26.75 crore, replaces Shikhar Dhawan/Sam Curran.
- Rajat Patidar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) – First-time IPL captain, replaces Faf du Plessis.
3. How Many New Players in IPL 2025?
The mega auction saw 10 franchises spend ₹639.15 crore to buy 182 players. Out of these, 120 were Indian players, while 62 were overseas cricketers.
- Punjab Kings signed the most new players (21).
- Kolkata Knight Riders made the least changes, signing only 8 new players.
4. Major Changes in Support Staff
Several franchises revamped their coaching staff ahead of IPL 2025.
- Rajasthan Royals appointed Rahul Dravid as head coach, with Vikram Rathour as batting coach. Both were part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning team staff.
- Delhi Capitals signed Kevin Pietersen as mentor, with Venugopal Rao as Cricket Director and Munaf Patel as bowling coach.
- Kolkata Knight Riders roped in Dwayne Bravo as mentor.
- Lucknow Super Giants appointed Zaheer Khan as mentor.
- Punjab Kings brought in Ricky Ponting as head coach.
5. Change in Franchise Ownership
A major shift in IPL 2025 is a change in franchise ownership. While the specifics are yet to be revealed, this development will bring new management strategies, financial structures, and leadership approaches to the league.
IPL 2025: A Season Full of Firsts and Surprises
With match fees for players, new captains, revamped support staff, and fresh talent, IPL 2025 promises to be one of the most exciting seasons yet. The tournament kicks off on March 22, and fans can expect high-intensity action, strategic changes, and competitive cricket like never before.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
