The 2018 Indian Premier League will be different from previous 10 season. This year IPL 11 has already seen some players turning out for new franchises in the mega-player auction in late January. The tournament will also see the return of two former champion teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals after two-year bans in a spot-fixing and illegal betting scandal. However, in a novel concept in the history of the tournament, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders will announce new captains live on TV for the first time. Rajasthan Royals will name their skipper on Saturday while Kolkata Knight Riders will name theirs on March 4.

Speaking on the move, Rajasthan Royals mentor Shane Warne said in a team statement: “A captain is instrumental to create a culture within the team. We indeed have some great choices, the likes of Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane and Steve Smith who bring leadership values with them. Jos Buttler too has capabilities to lead a team.”

England all-rounder Ben Stokes was the most expensive cricketer in the IPL player auction at Rs 12.5 crore while Steve Smith – the Australia skipper who led Rising Pune Supergiants last year and Ajinkya Rahane have demonstrated their leadership skills on the big stage. Kolkata Knight Riders will also name their captain live on TV. Sourav Ganguly, who was captain in 2008 and 2010, said the franchise, which did not retain skipper Gautam Gambhir, has limited options.

“In the current team, Robin Uthappa and Dinesh Karthik are captaincy material. Whether they will opt for Chris Lynn is a question because not many teams appoint a foreign captain. However, the franchise must give the new captain stability like how they gave to Gautam Gambhir,” Ganguly said.