Leading from the front: Top 5 captains in the IPL
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is considered one of the premier T20 competitions around the world. Not only Indian but the foreign players also dream to play in the IPL due to the standard of cricket that is on display in the tournament. Good performance in the IPL is more or less a ticket into the national side.
But achieving success isn’t that easy in the T20 extravaganza. There is literally cut-throat competition and the pressure is always there especially on the ones who are at the helm – the captains of the teams. It is not easy to keep the team together and deliver consistently. Here are the top five most successful captains in the IPL.
5. Shane Warne
Shane Warne has to be in this list for the way he led the Rajasthan Royals team filled with the youngsters in the inaugural season of the IPL. Rather the Royals won the tournament under him and was lauded for his inspirational captaincy. Warne played four seasons in the IPL, all for the Royals, leading the team in 55 matches overall.
The franchise managed to win 30 games under his leadership with a win percentage of 54.54. The leg-spinner is known as one of the best captains in the IPL and the fact that he was the first captain to win the silverware in the IPL will always remain in the history.
4. David Warner
David Warner should be named Mr Consistent of the IPL. Apart from batting exceptionally well in almost every season, his leadership skills have come to the fore in the Indian T20 league. He was made the skipper of the Sunrisers Hyderabad team in 2015 and he led them to the trophy in the very next season.
It was one of the most emotional moments of the IPL when SRH won the IPL in 2016 under Warner and the team also qualified for the playoffs in 2017. Warner’s win percentage while leading the franchise was 57 having won 25 out of the 47 matches. He is once again set to lead the same team this season in the UAE and one shouldn’t be surprised if he ends up lifting the trophy again.
3. Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir should’ve captained India more according to Irfan Pathan. He is not wrong at all as Gambhir’s captaincy skills were on display while playing for the KKR. He led the franchise to the title glory twice in 2012 and 2014. The way he prepared the team and backed the players to the core was one of the major reasons for their success.
After leaving the KKR, he was also made the skipper of the Delhi Capitals but it didn’t work for him as his batting form deserted. In 129 matches as captain in IPL, Gambhir won a whopping 71 games with a win percentage of 55.03.
2. MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni – the name needs no introduction. He has been the skipper of the Chennai Super Kings ever since the inception of the IPL and has led the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016. As the CSK skipper, he has led the team to the playoff/semi-finals in every season and is gearing up to rewrite history once again.
He has led in 174 matches in the T20 extravaganza and has registered victories in 104 of them with a win percentage of 60.11. This is the best win percentage among all players in this list but Dhoni is at the second only because of the three titles that he has won. Rohit Sharma has won four IPL trophies while leading the MI.
1. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma’s journey has been inspiring. He was made the skipper of the Mumbai Indians mid-way through the 2013 season and the decision has turned the fortunes of the franchise. Rohit has made MI, the most successful team in the history of the IPL. The team has won the title four times in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019 and will enter the 2020 season as the defending champions. He captained the team now in 104 matches in the IPL and has ended up winning 60. His win percentage of 58.65 which is a little less than MS Dhoni but then, the man has won four titles, more than any captain in the IPL.
