The Indian Cricket Board has asked all ten IPL team captains to assemble in Mumbai two days before the 18th edition gets underway in Kolkata later this week. Per the latest report, all ten skippers representing their teams in the cash-rich league will be in the city for a crucial pre-season meeting at the BCCI headquarters around noon this Thursday (Mar 20).

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Cricbuzz reported that the emails forwarded by the BCCI/IPL management to all teams surrounding the meeting, to be staged at the Cricket Centre, are more of a briefing and might stretch for an hour. The agenda of this meeting is to inform all concerned captains about the new additions and changes for the impending season. The sponsor activities will follow afterwards at the Taj Hotel.

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The report added that this event will be a four-hour programme, ending with a customary photo shoot featuring all ten IPL captains. Although such meetings and mandatory photo shoot sessions often take place in the city where the opening game is scheduled, Mumbai, not Kolkata, hosting this event suggests something more significant than usual affairs.

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Meanwhile, with Delhi Capitals announcing Axar Patel as their new captain ahead of IPL 2025, all teams have finalised their captains. The remaining nine captains are – Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK), Rajat Patidar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans), Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants), Shreyas Iyer (Punjab Kings), Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals), Ajinkya Rahane (Kolkata Knight Riders), Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians) and Pat Cummins (SunRisers Hyderabad).

Sanju, Pat re-link with their respective teams

Eight of the ten captains had already linked up with their respective teams ahead of IPL 2025, but the remaining two—Samson and Cummins—joined their sides on Sunday and Monday, respectively. 

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While Samson recovered from a broken thumb he sustained during the home T20I series against England, Cummins returned to competitive cricket for the first time since the final BGT Test in Sydney. 

Meanwhile, KKR and RCB will face off in the curtain raiser at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, with SRH-RR scheduled for Sunday afternoon and Chennai and Mumbai square off in the marquee clash later that evening. 

(With inputs from agencies)