Who is the Best Captain in the IPL?

The Indian Premier League, or IPL for short, has much more than just monstrous sixes, sizzling yorkers, and a nail-biting finish. It is also a test of leadership as the fortunes of a team can change in just one delivery. So, leadership should be the central axis of this league. 

Over the years, we’ve seen many captains or leaders guide their teams to the finish line and leave an indelible mark on the tournament. But the main question is; who is the best captain in IPL?

Let us discuss the role of a captain and also try to find the best captain in IPL. 

The Role of a Captain in IPL

In the world of T20 cricket, the job of captain is not just about the toss and field placements. The captain must read the game and make smart decisions during the play to help his team win. 

The best captain in the IPL must perform the roles of motivator, tactician, and team builder. All IPL teams have diverse international players and Indian players. It is imperative to foster a good environment in the dressing room to keep them healthy. Even IPL team owners give their captains a free hand to create an environment that can help them win matches on demand. 

Most Successful Captains in IPL History 

Since its inception in 2008, the IPL has seen many great captains who’ve left a legacy for their teams to follow. Here is the list of best captains in the IPL history. 

Player	Teams	Matches	Won	Win %	Trophies
MS Dhoni	Chennai, Pune	226	133	59.37	5
Rohit Sharma	Mumbai	158	87	56.32	5
Virat Kohli	Bangalore	143	66	48.56	0
Gautam Gambhir	Delhi, Kolkata	129	71	55.42	2
David Warner	Delhi, Hyderabad	83	40	49.39	1
Adam Gilchrist	Deccan, Punjab	74	35	47.29	1
Shreyas Iyer	Delhi, Kolkata	70	38	54.28	1
KL Rahul	Punjab, Lucknow	64	31	48.43	0
Sanju Samson	Rajasthan	61	31	50.81	0
Shane Warne	Rajasthan	55	30	55.45	1

Now, let’s look at the three most successful captains in IPL history from India. 

1. MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)

Who is the best captain in the IPL? When this question is asked to any fan, their default answer is: MS Dhoni. He certainly is IPL’s best captain. 

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain has redefined what it means to be a captain of an IPL franchise. Under his leadership, CSK has won five titles. His success is unparalleled. His ability to stay calm under pressure sets him apart from the rest. Whether the team is defending a low total or chasing in a high-stakes game, the composure Dhoni shows is legendary. 

His calculated assault in the final moments of a game is well known. It’s not easy to top the list of the 10 greatest IPL finishers in the history of the league. 

Achievements of MS Dhoni as Captain in IPL:

• He has led CSK to five IPL titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023). 
• He has also led the team to two Champions League T20 victories in 2010 and 2014. 
• He has the most wins as a captain (133) in IPL. 

2. Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)

Rohit Sharma is a player and captain who has achieved significant things in the IPL. He is considered one of the best leaders in the league along with MS Dhoni. 

If we take only IPL trophies into account, then Rohit would be the undisputed king of best captains in the IPL. With his leadership, he guided Mumbai Indians (MI) to five trophies. Under his leadership, MI transformed into one of the most consistent teams in the history of the game. 

His strength of captaincy lies in his ability to make smart decisions under pressure. He can easily identify match winners and support them. 

Achievements of Rohit Sharma as Captain in IPL:

• Just like Dhoni, Rohit also has five IPL victories under his belt as captain (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020). 
• He is the highest run scorer for MI and third on the list of most runs in IPL history. 

3. Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

Virat Kohli, the player with the most runs in IPL history, has been a significant force to be reckoned with when it comes to captaining an IPL side. He captained the RCB side from 2013 to 2021 and has a good record of winning 48.56 percent of matches.

He has won 66 out of 143 matches he captained for RCB. From the inception of IPL, he has not moved to another team. Despite not winning a trophy as a captain, he is considered one of the finest captains in the league. 

Achievements of Virat Kohli as Captain in IPL

• In 2016, he scored 973 runs as a captain of the team. It is the most runs in a single season that earned him the orange cap. 
• Under his captaincy, RCB reached the playoffs multiple times, including reaching the final in 2016. 
• He was also one of the longest-serving captains in IPL history.

4. Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Gautam Gambhir, the unsung hero of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has been one of the best Indian captains in the IPL. He has played for many teams, but his tenure with KKR was especially fruitful. He turned the underdog KKR team into champions. 

Under his leadership, the KKR team went on to clinch two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. Gambhir is known for his aggressive style of cricket that has inspired many youngsters in the KKR dressing room. 

Achievements of Gautam Gambhir as Captain in IPL:

• He led the KKR team to multiple IPL trophies in 2012 and 2014. 
• He broke the dominance of CSK and Mumbai Indians in the league. 

5. David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

One of the best Australian players to ever play in the IPL has been an excellent leader for Delhi and Hyderabad. However, he had come to the forefront of leadership when he moved to Hyderabad. 

After that, he started to score many runs upfront to make it easy for the other batsmen to follow. He is one of the top scorers in the IPL as well. He is also on the list of fastest centuries in IPL. However, his peak as a leader came in 2016, when he led the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team to victory in the IPL. 

Achievements of David Warner as Captain in IPL:

• His captaincy allowed Hyderabad to win their first IPL title in 2016. 
• He is the top-scoring overseas player in the IPL. He has 6565 runs in 184 matches. 

6. Adam Gilchrist (Deccan Chargers)

Adam Gilchrist, one of the former Australian legends, has captained the now-defunct Deccan Chargers. Gilchrist was an attacking player who always led the team from the front. His captaincy style complimented his playing style. 

Gilchrist led his team, Deccan Chargers, to victory in the second edition of the IPL. In 2009, his team won the final by beating the Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 6 runs. 

Achievements of Adam Gilchrist as Captain in IPL:

• He won the 2009 edition of the IPL as a captain of the Deccan Chargers. 
• He has 35 wins in 74 matches captained Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab. 

7. Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals)

Shreyas Iyer is also one of the successful captains in IPL who has won the title. He has played for Delhi and Kolkata in the recent past and took both teams to the final of the tournament. He is the only captain in IPL to take two different teams to the IPL final.

Captaining Delhi, in the 2020 IPL final, he lost to Mumbai. He made the switch to Kolkata and then took the team to the final and won it. Shreyas captained in 70 matches and won 38 of them.

Achievements of Shreyas Iyer as Captain in IPL:

• He is among the eight captains to have won an IPL title.
• He is also the only captain in the IPL to lead two teams to the IPL final.

8. KL Rahul (Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants)

KL Rahul has played for many franchises but he got to captain the Delhi and Lucknow teams. He has captained 64 matches and won 31 of them with a win percentage of 48.43.

In his first season as Punjab Kings captain, he scored the most runs in the season. He led Punjab Kings for two years and then moved to Lucknow to captain the side.

Achievements of KL Rahul as Captain in IPL:

• In 2020 he won the orange cap for the most runs (670) in the season.
• He carried his team Lucknow to the playoffs in his first attempt as captain.

9. Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals)

Sanju Started captaining the RCB side in 2021 and proved to be one of the best captains the franchise ever had. He has captained 61 matches, won 31 of them, and has a win percentage of 50.81.

In the second season as his captain, he carried his team to the finals in IPL 2022 and finished as runners-up.

Achievements of Sanju Samson as Captain in IPL:

• Samson scored a century in the first match as a captain in IPL.
• He also became the all-time leading run scorer for Rajasthan Royals recently.
• He guided Rajasthan Royals to finals in 2022.

10. Shane Warne (Rajasthan Royals)

Shane Warne is the captain who won the first IPL ever IPL season. In 2008, Rajasthan Royals (RR) appointed the experienced Australian southpaw as the captain. 

He led the Rajasthan team for three seasons and won 30 of the 55 matches they played. After Warne, Rajasthan has not tasted this kind of success in the league. 

Achievements of Shane Warne as Captain in IPL:

• He won the 2008 IPL trophy as captain of RR. 
• He was the only overseas full-time captain in the inaugural edition of the league. 

Who is the Best Captain in IPL History with Most Runs

Well, the King of IPL, Virat Kohli is the best captain in IPL history with the most runs. Playing from 2008 for RCB, Virat was made captain of the team in 2011. He was the only player to captain over 100 matches and not win a trophy. He led the Bengaluru team in 143 matches and won 66. 

With 8004 runs in IPL, he is the highest run scorer in IPL history. He is the only player with 8000 runs in the IPL. He is followed by Shikhar Dhawan (6769) and Rohit Sharma (6628). 

Despite not winning a trophy as a captain, he is extremely popular. In fact, he is the reason why RCB is one of the teams with the most fans in the league.   

Conclusion

So, who is the best captain in the IPL? 

Well, it is very difficult to say that one player is better than the other. Each of these players has achieved something spectacular for their team and has contributed to the success and growth of the IPL. 

They are all great leaders in their own respect and know how to inspire their team to perform well under high-pressure situations. 

So, this was our take on the best captains in IPL. If you have an opinion about it, do let us know in the comment section. 

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