All the captains of the Indian Premier League (IPL) teams are set to gather in Mumbai this Thursday for an important pre-season meeting. As briefly mentioned by Cricbuzz recently, the meeting will take place at the headquarters of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), at noon. In addition to the captains, the managers of all 10 franchises have also been invited to attend.
According to emails sent to the franchises by the BCCI/IPL management, the meeting – more of a briefing – at the Cricket Centre will last for one hour. During this time, the teams will be informed about the new additions and changes for the upcoming season. The briefing will be followed by sponsor activities at the Taj Hotel.
In total, the event will be a four-hour programme, culminating with the customary photo shoot featuring all the captains. Typically, these meetings and the photo sessions are held in the city where the season opener takes place. However, this time, the event is being held at the BCCI office, suggesting there may be something more significant than the usual appraisal of the rules.
The captains for all the teams have been confirmed, with Axar Patel being named the skipper of Delhi Capitals recently. The other nine captains are: Hardik Pandya (MI), Pat Cummins (SRH), Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK), Rajat Patidar (RCB), Rishabh Pant (LSG), Shreyas Iyer (PBKS), Sanju Samson (RR), Ajinkya Rahane (KKR), and Shubman Gill (GT).
Most captains have reported to their respective teams, along with players who participated in the Champions Trophy, according to the latest updates from various camps. Pat Cummins arrived in Hyderabad on Sunday. The Australia skipper has pledged full availability for the season, despite the World Test Championship final, which starts at Lord’s on June 11 – just two weeks after the IPL final on May 25.
The IPL starts at the Eden in Kolkata on March 22 with champions Kolkata Knight Riders squaring up against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
© Cricbuzz
