One amongst the best of cricket leagues, the Leading Indian Premier League– For anyone interested, it is not only an opportunity to showcase talent; more importantly, it is an institution from which players get to learn leadership. Six captains have led their teams to glory in the IPL’s history. Rohit Sharma heads the lot with five titles.
Being a captain is not easy, especially in these fast-paced T20 matches where decisions are taken in the split second. There is various kind of pressure cervix; if the captain makes a mess or isn’t good enough, he might not last long. Many captains have left their marks in the IPL, from MS Dhoni to Shreyas Iyer. Therefore, to see through the history of most successful captains in IPL:
Top 8 IPL Captains Fans Will Never Forget
1. MS Dhoni
Dhoni is praised for his calm demeanor and restructuring of Chennai Super Kings. He led CSK to five IPL victories in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023, thereby claiming the title of the most successful team in the history of the league. He won 123 matches out of 210 pole positions for a win percentage of 58.25. His teams were in the playoffs in every year except 2016, 2020, and 2022.
Read Also: MS Dhoni Captaincy Records in All Format: T20I, ODI & Test
2. Rohit Sharma
Rohit is indeed the foundation for the Mumbai Indians with 5 IPL wins under his belt. He led the side to victory in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. His characteristic tranquillity in decision-making has been the key ingredient of his success under pressure. Rohit has a captaincy record of 143 matches with 79 wins, translating to a winning percentage of 56.64%.
Read Also: Rohit Sharma Captaincy Records in All Formats: T20I, ODI & Test
3. Gautam Gambhir
Aggressive in style, built a solid team of Kolkata Knight Riders under his captaincy. KKR reigned supreme in the IPL in the years 2012 and 2014. Gambhir captained KKR in a total of 129 matches from 2009 to 2018, winning 71 matches at a percentage of 55.42 %.
Read Also: Gautam Gambhir Captaincy Records in All Formats: IPL, Test, ODI, & T20
4. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli emitted passion through his performance. With little help from Royal Challengers Bangalore under his captaincy, they reached playoffs multiple times while he won-over the fans with his batting.
Read Also: Virat Kohli Captaincy Record in All Format: T20I, ODI & Test
5. David Warner
David turned Sunrisers Hyderabad into great competitors through his leadership. He took SRH to victory in its very first IPL trophy in 2016.
6. Adam Gilchrist
In 2009, Adam Gilchrist led the Deccan Chargers to their one and only IPL title. This fearless Australian wicketkeeper made a mark with his bold captaincy by winning 35 out of 74 matches, with a winning percentage of 47.29.
7. Shane Warne
Shane Warne has been an influential factor for the Rajasthan Royals team. His intelligent strategies utilized led the team to victory in the championship of 2008. He captained the side from 2008 to 2011, winning 30 of 55 matches with a success percentage of 55.45.
8. Shreyas Iyer
Cool and calm by nature, Shreyas Iyer took the Delhi Capitals to the finals in 2020, becoming an important cog in the wheel for turning the team into a strong contender for victory and winning his first IPL trophy with KKR in 2024.
