Last Updated on 4 weeks by Charbel Coorey

The 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to get underway on March 22, and the possible 11 of each team is a key topic of conversation. Kolkata Knight Riders are the defending champions, but the mega auction saw plenty of changes across the ten franchises, headlined by record purchases late last year.

In this article, we will look at the possible 11 plus impact player for all franchises for their first games of the IPL 2025 season.

IPL 2025: Possible 11 and impact player for all franchises

Chennai Super Kings

Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Devon Conway, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rashid, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishnan Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) come into IPL 2025 with some questions around the make up of their XI. Devon Conway has been a key part of their team, but Rachin Ravindra’s form may be too hard to ignore. Sam Curran returns to the franchise and could partner Matheesha Pathirana and Noor Ahmad as the other overseas players. Nathan Ellis, who bowled nicely in the recent Champions Trophy, is another option.

R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are back together. The duo is a big strength for the franchise especially if the Chepauk surface takes spin. Khaleel Ahmed could be the impact player with Mukesh Choudhary another contender.

Possible 11 for first game against Mumbai Indians at Chepauk: 1. Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), 2. Devon Conway (OS), 3. Rachin Ravindra (OS), 4. Shivam Dube, 5. Deepak Hooda, 6. Sam Curran (OS), 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. MS Dhoni (wk), 9. R Ashwin, 10. Matheesha Pathirana (OS), 11. Mukesh Choudhary, 12. Khaleel Ahmed

Delhi Capitals

Squad: KL Rahul, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Karun Nair, Abhishek Porel, Tristian Stubbs, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natrajan, Mitchell Starc, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Faf du Plessis, Mukesh Kumar, Darshan Nalkande, Vipraj Nigam, Dushmanta Chameera, Donovan Ferreira, Ajay Mandal, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari.

It has been a bit of a disjointed build up for the Delhi Capitals. Harry Brook opted out of IPL 2025 for personal reasons and KL Rahul is reportedly set to miss the opening two games due to the birth of his child.

Assuming Rahul is out, Faf du Plessis can come in to open with Jake Fraser-McGurk. Abishek Porel, skipper Axar Patel, Sameer Rizvi and Ashutosh Sharma are expected to be the Indian middle order options, along with Protea Tristan Stubbs.

Mitchell Starc will lead the attack alongside a number of experienced campaigners inckuding Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, and T Natarajan. Mohit Sharma is an option for impact player.

Possible 11 for first game against Delhi Capitals at Visakhapatnam: 1. Faf du Plessis (OS), 2. Jake Fraser-McGurk (OS), 3. Abishek Porel, 4. Tristan Stubbs (OS), 5. Axar Patel (c), 6. Sameer Rizvi, 7. Ashutosh Sharma, 8. Mitchell Starc (OS), 9. Mukesh Kumar, 10. Kuldeep Yadav, 11. T Natarajan, 12. Mohit Sharma

Gujarat Titans

Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler, B. Sai Sudharshan, Shahrukh Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Nishant Sindhu, Mahipal Lomror, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Manav Suthar, Washington Sundar, Gerald Coetzee, Mohmmad Arshad Khan, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Sherfane Rutherford, R. Sai Kishore, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Kareem Janat, Kulwant Khejroliya.

Gujarat Titans (GT) have a number of different options to choose from. However, they will land on a balanced team. Glenn Phillips’ excellent form in all three facets of the game may see him get the nod. The likes of Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan has excellent finishing potential below a top three of Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler and Sai Sudharsan. If GT’s middle order steps up, they can go a long way.

GT also have plenty of variety in their attack. The powerplay quality of Mohammed Siraj. Hit the deck Kagiso Rabada and Prasidh Krishna. Accuracy of Washington Sundar. And, of course, the highest-ever T20 wicket-taker, Rashid Khan. However, can they keep teams in check at the death?

Possible 11 for first game against Punjab Kings at Ahmedabad: 1. Shubman Gill (c), 2. Jos Buttler (OS, wk), 3. Sai Sudharsan, 4. Glenn Phillips (OS), 5. Shahrukh Khan, 6. Rahul Tewatia, 7. Washington Sundar, 8. Rashid Khan (OS), 9. R Sai Kishore, 10. Kagiso Rabada (OS), 11. Mohammed Siraj, 12. Prasidh Krishna

Kolkata Knight Riders

Squad: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Chetan Sakariya.

Defending champions KKR look strong once again despite changes due to the mega auction. Sunil Narine was outstanding as opener last season, so he will likely have that role again. Quinton de Kock or Rahmanullah Gurbaz will partner him, but KKR may opt for the former given his experience.

Ajinkya Rahane, as captain, will slot in the top four. Given KKR spent so much on Venkatesh Iyer, it would make sense for him to bat at four at the lowest for maximum impact. Angkrish Raghuvanshi is another player to watch, before the finishers – Rinku Singh and Andre Russell – do their thing.

With the ball, Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana are locks. Spencer Johnson may win the overseas pacer slot given his left-arm angle. However, KKR also have the pacy Anrich Nortje to choose from, pending fitness.

Umran Malik is out of the tournament due to injury. Left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya comes into the KKR squad in his place.

Possible 11 for first game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens: 1. Quinton de Kock (OS, wk), 2. Sunil Narine (OS), 3. Ajinkya Rahane (c), 4. Venkatesh Iyer, 5. Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 6. Rinku Singh, 7. Andre Russell (OS), 8. Ramandeep Singh, 9. Harshit Rana, 10. Spencer Johnson (OS), 11. Varun Chakravarthy, 12. Vaibhav Arora

Lucknow Super Giants

Squad: Rishabh Pant (c), David Miller, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ravi Bisnoi, Abdul Samad, Aryan Juyal, Akash Deep, Himmat Singh, M Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni, Matthew Breetzke.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) may have all four overseas players in their top five. Mitchell Marsh will play only as a batsman in this tournament and could open alongside Aiden Markram. Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran and David Miller are set to make up the top five.

Thus, LSG will have an all-Indian frontline bowling attack. Mohsin Khan’s fitness and powerplay exploits will be key. Akash Deep and Avesh Khan are key bowlers, as is Ravi Bishnoi as the lead spinner. Mayank Yadav has a back injury and will miss the first half of the tournament, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Skipper Pant, the most expensive player in IPL history at INR 27 crore, will be seeking a strong start to the tournament.

Possible 11 for first game against Delhi Capitals at Visakhapatnam: 1. Aiden Markram (OS), 2. Mitchell Marsh (OS), 3. Nicholas Pooran (OS), 4. Rishabh Pant (c & wk), 5. David Miller (OS), 6. Ayush Badoni, 7. Shahbaz Ahmed, 8. Avesh Khan, 9. Akash Deep, 10. Mohsin Khan, 11. Ravi Bishnoi, 12. Akash Singh

Mumbai Indians

Squad: Hardik Pandya (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Karn Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Ashwani Kumar, Mitchell Santner, Reece Topley, Shrijith Krishnan, Raj Angad Bawa, Venkat Satyanarayana Raju, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Vignesh Puthhur, Suryakumar Yadav.

Jasprit Bumrah will miss at least the first few games of IPL 2025 due to the back injury that has plagued him since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January. Still, Mumbai Indians (MI) will be banking on the experience of Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar, with Hardik Pandya also looking to contribute more with the ball.

For their first match in Chepauk, MI may have opted for both Mitchell Santner and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. However, Hardik Pandya’s one-game suspension means Corbin Bosch could come into the XII. Legspinner Karn Sharma could be part of the XII as well as a result.

MI’s batting lineup looks mighty powerful. Ryan Rickelton is tipped to partner Rohit Sharma at the top, but Will Jacks is also a strong chance. According to India.com, Naman Dhir, who scored 140 runs at a strike rate of 177.21 in IPL 2024, could bat at three with Suryakumar Yadav at four.

Possible 11 for first game against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk: 1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Will Jacks/Ryan Rickelton (OS), 3. Naman Dhir, 4. Suryakumar Yadav (c), 5. Tilak Varma, 6. Robin Minz (wk), 7. Corbin Bosch (OS), 8. Mitchell Santner (OS), 9. Raj Bawa, 10. Deepak Chahar, 11. Karn Sharma, 12. Trent Boult (OS)

Punjab Kings

Squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Lockie Ferguson, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Kuldeep Sen, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett, Pyla Avinash, Pravin Dubey, Nehal Wadhera.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) entered the IPL 2025 mega auction with the biggest purse. They splashed the cash, most notably on Shreyas Iyer, whom they have named as captain.

With coach Ricky Ponting at the helm, expect a strong Australian influence in the XI. Ponting is a known fan of Marcus Stoinis, and Glenn Maxwell is a matchwinner. Also, Josh Inglis’ recent form may prompt PBKS to open with him alongside Prabhsimran Singh. There is also the option of the very impressive Azmatullah Omarzai.

With the ball, PBKS have plenty of options to turn to including their all-rounders. If Lockie Ferguson is fit, he could find a place in the team Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal will be the leaders of the attack. PBKS also have the option of Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett as overseas pace bowling options.

Possible 11 for first game against Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad: 1. Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 2. Josh Inglis (OS), 3. Shreyas Iyer (c), 4. Glenn Maxwell (OS), 5. Nehal Wadhera, 6. Marcus Stoinis/Azmatullah Omarzai (OS), 7. Shashank Singh, 8. Harpreet Brar, 9. Lockie Ferguson (OS), 10. Arshdeep Singh, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal, 12. Kuldeep Sen

Rajasthan Royals

Squad: Sanju Samson (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma, Jofra Archer, Wainindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Nitish Rana, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Charak, Fazal Farooqi, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kwena Maphaka, Kunal Rathore, Ashok Sharma.

Sanju Samson is set to partner the dynamic Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top for Rajasthan Royals (RR). Nitish Rana is expected to bat at three with Riyan Parag to bat at four – a position he excelled in during IPL 2024.

Shimron Hetmyer is crucial to RR’s hopes as their only overseas batsman in the squad. Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Dubey and Wanindu Hasaranga could also be vital to RR’s finishing throughout the season.

On the bowling front, Jofra Archer is back in RR colours. Akash Madhwal and Sandeep Sharma are likely to be his seam-bowling partners, with Sri Lankans Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana the specialist spin options. Fazalhaq Farooqi is another option RR may wish to go with depending on conditions, but the lack of all-rounders in their squad means two specialist spinners is a necessity.

Possible 11 for first game against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Hyderabad: 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2. Sanju Samson, 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Riyan Parag (c), 5. Shimron Hetmyer (OS), 6. Dhruv Jurel (wk), 7. Shubham Dubey, 8. Wanindu Hasaranga (OS), 9. Jofra Archer (OS), 10. Maheesh Theekshana (OS), 11. Akash Madhwal, 12. Sandeep Sharma

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Squad: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethel, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.

Rajat Patidar will lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a big campaign for the franchise, but what will their XII look like?

Virat Kohli, Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar should form the top three. However, what comes after may be up for debate. Should Krunal Pandya bat as high as four given RCB have a plethora of right-handers? Do they risk Devdutt Padikkal in that role given he’s struggled there in the past? Where does Liam Livingstone bat?

With the ball, Josh Hazlewood returns. He and Bhuvneshar Kumar are key in delivering control, especially at the batting-friendly Chinnaswamy. Yash Dayal was impressive last season and should get a start.

Spin is a question for RCB to get right. Partnering Krunal is likely to be either legspinner Suyash Sharma or left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh.

Possible 11 for first game against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens: 1. Virat Kohli, 2. Phil Salt (OS), 3. Rajat Patidar (c), 4. Krunal Pandya, 5. Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6. Liam Livingstone (OS), 7. Tim David (OS), 8. Rasikh Salam Dar, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Josh Hazlewood (OS), 11. Yash Dayal, 12. Suyash Sharma/Swapnil Singh

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Squad:  Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klassen, Nitish Reddy, Ishan Kishan, Mohammad Shami, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar, Adam Zampa, Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, Simarjeet Singh, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Kamindu Mendis, Aniket Verma, Eshan Malinga, Sachin Baby, Wiaan Mulder

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), last year’s finalists, look very powerful once again, adding Ishan Kishan to their strong batting lineup. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma are locks as arguably the most dynamic opening partnership in the competition. Nitish Kumar Reddy is said to be fit after recovering from a side strain. And, of course, Heinrich Klaasen rounds off a quality top five.

SRH look stronger bowling wise compared to last season. Pat Cummins captains a bowling attack comprising of plenty of experience. Expect Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar to start, with Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head able to provide overs as well if needed.

Possible 11 for first game against Rajasthan Royals at Hyderabad: 1. Travis Head (OS), 2. Abhishek Sharma, 3. Ishan Kishan, 4. Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5. Heinrich Klaasen (OS, wk), 6. Aniket Verma, 7. Abhinav Manohar, 8. Pat Cummins (OS, c), 9. Mohammed Shami, 10. Adam Zampa (OS), 11. Rahul Chahar, 12. Harshal Patel