Who Earns Most: IPL 2025 Captains' Salary (Image: Instagram.cm/IPL
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to kick off on March 22, but the buzz isn’t just about the matches—it’s also about the massive paychecks the captains are taking home this season. Among the ten IPL skippers, Lucknow Super Giants’ Rishabh Pant leads the salary race with a whopping Rs 27 crore, making him the highest-paid captain in IPL 2025.
Closely trailing Pant is Shreyas Iyer, who is set to captain Punjab Kings for a hefty sum of Rs 26.75 crore. The third spot is far behind, shared by three captains—Pat Cummins (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Chennai Super Kings), and Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals)—each earning Rs 18 crore. This places the Australian fast bowler Cummins on par with his Indian counterparts in terms of IPL salary.
Meanwhile, Axar Patel (Delhi Capitals) and Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans) have secured lucrative deals of Rs 16.5 crore each, while Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians) follows closely with Rs 16.35 crore. Pandya’s salary drop from previous seasons has been a talking point, especially after his controversial return to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans.
| Player | Team | Salary (Rs Cr) |
| Rishabh Pant | Lucknow Super Giants | 27 |
| Shreyas Iyer | Punjab Kings | 26.75 |
| Pat Cummins | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 18 |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | Chennai Super Kings | 18 |
| Sanju Samson | Rajasthan Royals | 18 |
| Axar Patel | Delhi Capitals | 16.5 |
| Shubman Gill | Gujarat Titans | 16.5 |
| Hardik Pandya | Mumbai Indians | 16.35 |
| Rajat Patidar | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 11 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | Kolkata Knight Riders | 1.5 |
On the lower end of the spectrum, Rajat Patidar, leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will take home Rs 11 crore—a significant sum but well below the top earners. However, the biggest surprise is Ajinkya Rahane, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain, who will earn just Rs 1.5 crore, making him the lowest-paid skipper of the season.
Beyond the staggering salaries, the IPL 2025 schedule promises a blockbuster season with 74 matches across 13 venues. The opening game will see defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens on March 22. The first double-header day, March 23, will feature Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals in the afternoon, followed by an electrifying clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in the evening.
The league will culminate in an intense playoff stage, with matches split between Hyderabad and Kolkata. The final showdown is scheduled for May 25, 2025.
