Best Captains in the IPL – Ranking the Top 9 Captains in IPL History

Who is the Most Successful Captain in Indian Premier League?

The Indian Premier League has seen some great captains over the years, with some leading their teams to multiple titles while others have been successful in taking their team to the playoffs on a regular basis. So who are the best captains in IPL history?

Nine Most Successful Captains in IPL

Looking at the overall records, it is clear that MS Dhoni is the most successful captain in IPL history, having led the Chennai Super Kings to three title triumphs. He is closely followed by Rohit Sharma, who has led the Mumbai Indians to four title wins.

1. MS Dhoni

Under Dhoni’s captaincy, Chennai Super Kings have been one of the most successful teams in the IPL, winning the title three times (in 2010, 2011 and 2018). Dhoni is also the only captain to have led his team to the playoffs in all ten seasons of the IPL. Dhoni has a win percentage of 60.38 in the IPL, which is the best among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

2. Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has led Mumbai Indians to four IPL titles (in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019), making them the most successful team in the competition’s history. He is also the only captain to have won three consecutive IPL titles. Sharma has a win percentage of 58.33 in the IPL, which is second only to Dhoni among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

3. Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir led the Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles (in 2012 and 2014). He is the only captain to have won the IPL twice. Gambhir has a win percentage of 53.85 in the IPL, which is third among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

4. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has led the Royal Challengers Bangalore to three IPL finals (in 2009, 2011 and 2016), but they are yet to win the title. Kohli has a win percentage of 52.63 in the IPL, which is fourth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

5. David Warner

David Warner led the Sunrisers Hyderabad to their maiden IPL title in 2016. He has a win percentage of 48.65 in the IPL, which is fifth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

6. Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina is the most successful captain in the history of the Chennai Super Kings, leading them to two IPL titles (in 2010 and 2011). He has a win percentage of 47.83 in the IPL, which is sixth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

7. Shane Warne

Shane Warne led the Rajasthan Royals to their maiden and only IPL title in 2008. He has a win percentage of 46.15 in the IPL, which is seventh among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

8. Steve Smith

Steve Smith led the Rajasthan Royals to the playoffs in 2013 and 2014. He has a win percentage of 45.83 in the IPL, which is eighth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

9. Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist led the Deccan Chargers to their maiden and only IPL title in 2009. He has a win percentage of 45.45 in the IPL, which is ninth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

Highest Win Percentage as a Captain in IPL

PLAYER	MATCHES	WON	LOST	TIED	NO RESULT	WINNING PERCENTAGE
MS Dhoni	210	123	86	0	1	58.85
Rohit Sharma	143	79	60	4	0	56.64
Gautam Gambhir	129	71	57	1	0	55.42
David Warner	69	35	32	2	0	52.17
Sachin Tendulkar	51	30	21	0	0	58.82
Shane Warne	55	30	24	1	0	55.45
Virender Sehwag	53	28	24	1	0	53.77
Shreyas Iyer	55	27	26	2	0	50.90
Steve Smith	43	25	17	0	1	59.52
Anil Kumble	26	15	11	0	0	57.69
Hardik Pandya	15	11	4	0	0	73.33
Rishabh Pant	30	16	13	1	0	55.00
Daniel Vettori	22	12	10	0	0	54.54
Faf Du Plessis	16	9	7	0	0	56.25
Dinesh Karthik	43	21	21	1	0	50
Yuvraj Singh	43	21	21	0	1	50
KL Rahul	42	20	20	2	0	50.00
Harbhajan Singh	20	10	10	0	0	50
Glenn Maxwell	14	7	7	0	0	50
Mayank Agarwal	14	7	7	0	0	50
Kane Williamson	46	22	23	1	0	48.91
Sanju Samson	31	15	16	0	0	48.31
Eoin Morgan	24	11	12	1	0	47.91
George Bailey	30	14	16	0	0	46.66
Virat Kohli	140	64	69	3	4	48.16
Adam Gilchrist	74	35	39	0	0	47.29
Rahul Dravid	48	22	26	0	0	45.83
Suresh Raina	34	14	18	2	0	44.11
Zaheer Khan	23	10	13	0	0	43.47
R Ashwin	28	12	16	0	0	42.85
Sourav Ganguly	42	17	25	0	0	40.47
JP Dumminy	16	6	9	0	1	40
Shane Watson	24	8	13	2	1	39.13
Ajinkya Rahane	25	9	16	0	0	36
Mahela Jayawardene	30	10	19	1	0	35
Kumar Sangakkara	47	15	30	2	0	34.04
Brendon McCullum	14	3	10	1	0	25
Kevin Pietersen	17	3	14	0	0	17.64

Other Successful Captains in IPL

Kumar Sangakkara

Sangakkara led the Deccan Chargers to the playoffs in 2008 and 2009. He has a win percentage of 44.44 in the IPL, which is tenth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

Brendon McCullum

McCullum led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the playoffs in 2012 and 2014. He has a win percentage of 43.48 in the IPL, which is eleventh among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

Dinesh Karthik

Karthik led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the playoffs in 2018. He has a win percentage of 42.86 in the IPL, which is twelfth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

Ricky Ponting

Ponting led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the playoffs in 2014. He has a win percentage of 41.67 in the IPL, which is thirteenth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

Stephen Fleming

Fleming led the Chennai Super Kings to the playoffs in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He has a win percentage of 40.00 in the IPL, which is fourteenth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

IPL Captains with Promising Potential

Shreyas Iyer

Iyer led the Delhi Capitals to the playoffs in 2020. He has a win percentage of 50.00 in the IPL, which is fifth among captains who have led their teams in at least 10 matches.

Sanju Samson

Samson led the Rajasthan Royals to the playoffs in 2020. He has a win percentage of 50.00 in the IPL, which is sixth among captains who have led their teams in at least 10 matches.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul led the Kings XI Punjab to the playoffs in 2020. He has a win percentage of 47.62 in the IPL, which is seventh among captains who have led their teams in at least 10 matches.

IPL Captains Who Retired Recently

Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir led the Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles (in 2012 and 2014). He has a win percentage of 58.33 in the IPL, which is fourth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

Shane Warne

Warne led the Rajasthan Royals to their maiden and only IPL title in 2008. He has a win percentage of 46.15 in the IPL, which is seventh among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

Adam Gilchrist

Gilchrist led the Deccan Chargers to their maiden and only IPL title in 2009. He has a win percentage of 45.45 in the IPL, which is ninth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

MS Dhoni

Dhoni has led the Chennai Super Kings to three IPL titles (in 2010, 2011 and 2018). He has a win percentage of 54.55 in the IPL, which is sixth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

Brendon McCullum

McCullum led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the playoffs in 2012 and 2014. He has a win percentage of 43.48 in the IPL, which is eleventh among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

IPL Captains Who Retired Recently

Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir led the Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles (in 2012 and 2014). He has a win percentage of 58.33 in the IPL, which is fourth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

Shane Warne

Warne led the Rajasthan Royals to their maiden and only IPL title in 2008. He has a win percentage of 46.15 in the IPL, which is seventh among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

Adam Gilchrist

Gilchrist led the Deccan Chargers to their maiden and only IPL title in 2009. He has a win percentage of 45.45 in the IPL, which is ninth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

MS Dhoni

Dhoni has led the Chennai Super Kings to three IPL titles (in 2010, 2011 and 2018). He has a win percentage of 54.55 in the IPL, which is sixth among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

Brendon McCullum

McCullum led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the playoffs in 2012 and 2014. He has a win percentage of 43.48 in the IPL, which is eleventh among captains who have led their teams in at least 30 matches.

As we can see, there are quite a few captains who have had success in the Indian Premier League. However, no captain has been able to achieve sustained success over multiple seasons. This could be due to the fact that the IPL is a relatively new league and captains are still trying to figure out the best way to lead their teams.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the best captain in IPL 2022?

The answer to this question can only be determined after the cricket IPL 2022 season has been completed. However, based on recent form and captains who have shown promise, some captains that could be in contention for the title of best captain in IPL 2022 include Shreyas Iyer (Delhi Capitals), Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals), and KL Rahul (Kings XI Punjab).

Who is the third best captain of IPL?

The third best captain of IPL is Gautam Gambhir, who led the Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles (in 2012 and 2014).

Who is better, Dhoni or Virat?

There is no clear answer to this question as both captains have had great success in the IPL. Dhoni has led the Chennai Super Kings to three IPL titles (in 2010, 2011 and 2018), while Virat Kohli has led the Royal Challengers Bangalore to three IPL finals (in 2009, 2011 and 2016). However, Dhoni has a higher win percentage as a captain, so he may be considered the better captain.