In the past 16 seasons of the Indian Premier League, only 7 skippers have managed to lift the IPL trophy. What makes it difficult to win the IPL trophy is the unique format of the tournament and teams consisting of the best players in the world. The best domestic (Indian) and overseas players go toe-to-toe, as they strive to clinch the coveted T20 trophy. So, here are the top 4 IPL captains with a stellar record:
Captain | Team | Titles | Wins |
---|---|---|---|
MS Dhoni | Chennai Super Kings | 5 | 133 |
Rohit Sharma | Mumbai Indians | 5 | 87 |
Gautam Gambhir | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2 | 71 |
Shane Warne | Rajasthan Royals | 1 | 30 |
IPL captains with a stellar record
MS Dhoni
5-time champion and former India skipper MS Dhoni is the best captain in IPL history. The wicketkeeper skipper has the most wins (133) and joint-most titles (5) in his 16-year career with the Chennai Super Kings. Dhoni has the best win percentage among captains who have led their side in 50 or more matches.
Rohit Sharma
Despite leading his side in fewer matches (68) than Dhoni, Rohit Sharma has won an equal number of IPL titles as captain (5). Rohit has the second-most wins as captain in the IPL (87) and the second-best win percentage as captain (55.06) in the top 10.
Gautam Gambhir
Apart from Rohit and Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir is the only captain to win more than one title. Leading the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2009 to 2018, Gambhir managed to win two titles in 2012 and 2014.
The southpaw has the third-best win percentage for a captain (55.03) in the top 10.
Shane Warne
The captain of the inaugural IPL in 2008 was Shane Warne. The leg-spinner was known for his game awareness and was considered unlucky to not lead his national Test team.
Warne led the Rajasthan Royals from 2008 to 2011 and ended his IPL captaincy career with a win percentage of 54.54.