five South African players have captained teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL):
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Shaun Pollock: In the inaugural 2008 season, Pollock led the Mumbai Indians, becoming the first South African to captain an IPL team. SwagCricket
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David Miller: Miller was appointed captain of Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2016, leading the team in six matches. Cricket.com
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JP Duminy: Duminy captained the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. SwagCricket
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Faf du Plessis: Du Plessis took over the captaincy of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2022 and continued until 2024. In February 2025, Rajat Patidar succeeded him as RCB's captain. Reuters+1Cricket.com+1
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Aiden Markram: Markram was named captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2023 season, marking his debut as an IPL captain. Reuters+1SwagCricket+1
These instances highlight the leadership roles South African players have undertaken in the IPL over the years.