It takes a special breed of player to be given the reins of an Indian Premier League team, and fewer still manage to pull off the role successfully. As a result, the debate about the IPL best captain has been raging since the inception of the tournament itself.
A captain isn’t just supposed to lead the team with crucial decisions but must also often lead by way of exemplary performances on the field. As a result, a good IPL captain needs a cool head, a great gut instinct, and skills in spades. In fact, anyone who’s about to bet on a cricket match should also know the captains of the two teams and what they are each capable of.
We have ranked the top 5 IPL captains of all time according to their match-to-match success rate, with the minimum number of matches required for qualification being 50.
Table of Contents
IPL Most Successful Captain – Winning Percentage
| Player Name | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | Win % |
| Rohit Sharma | 129 | 75 | 50 | 4 | 0 | 59.68 |
| MS Dhoni | 204 | 121 | 82 | 0 | 1 | 59.60 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 51 | 30 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 58.82 |
| Shane Warne | 55 | 30 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 55.45 |
| Gautam Gambhir | 129 | 71 | 57 | 1 | 0 | 55.42 |
Stats are only up to the start of the 2023 season
IPL Best Captain – Ranking
The question of who is the most successful captain in IPL is a subjective one, with a very valid debate between whether winning percentage or number of IPL titles should count for more. However, for the purpose of this article, we are considering the win rate as the one and only metric.
Most Successful Captain in IPL – Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma is the most successful of all IPL team captains not only in terms of titles won but also in terms of win percentage as captain. After winning the IPL as a player with the Deccan Chargers in 2009, Sharma had to wait another 4 years for his second title, which he achieved as a captain after Ricky Ponting relinquished his leadership role halfway through the season. The move proved to be a masterstroke for the franchise and a personal moment of glory for Rohit that would go on to shape his career.
The Rohit Sharma captaincy record in IPL is a thing of envy. In 129 matches as captain, Rohit has led his team to victory 74 times against 48 defeats and 4 ties, which brings his win rate to a staggering 59.68%, making him the IPL no. 1 captain.
Most Wins as Captain in IPL – MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni holds a remarkable record among IPL teams and captains, winning four titles with the Chennai Super Kings and taking the franchise to the playoffs in every iteration of the tournament it was a part of, except in the 2020 edition. Not only is MS Dhoni an astute tactician, but the batter has won matches with his heroic finishing abilities. The Indian veteran also led the Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016, but the team could not find success under his leadership.
The 40-year-old is the player who has played the most IPL matches as captain, with a whopping 204 matches under his belt. Of these, he has won 121 and lost 82, with one no result thrown in. This has gotten his win rate to 59.60%, which may become the highest percentage if Rohit Sharma leads Mumbai to too many defeats this year.
Best Captain in IPL History – Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is a player who needs no introduction. Anyone who has heard of cricket more than once has probably heard of Sachin Tendulkar. Unlike his stints as captain of India, Sachin found a lot more success with his home team Mumbai Indians, leading them to a final and achieving a great win rate overall.
Tendulkar was the captain of Mumbai from the start of the tournament to the 2012 edition and continued as a player for another year. In those 4 years in charge, the Master Blaster led the Mumbai Indians to 30 wins in 51 IPL matches with a commendable 58.82% win rate.
Successful Captain in IPL – Shane Warne
Former Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne was the IPL number one captain in the first season of the tournament, rallying a relatively underpowered squad of inexperienced talent to glory. Shane Warne was not just the captain of the Rajasthan Royals in 2008 but also their coach. Being an active and inspiring leader, he managed to pull off the borderline unthinkable in that first year.
Despite tepid seasons following the first, Warne nevertheless retired from the IPL in 2011 with a fantastic record of 31 wins, a tie, and 24 losses from his 55 matches at the helm, putting his win rate at 55.45%.
Best IPL Team Captain – Gautam Gambhir
Although Gautam Gambhir also captained the Delhi Daredevils before his illustrious time in Kolkata, he couldn’t quite find his footing. By contrast, the Kolkata Knight Riders experienced tremendous success under his leadership as the left-hander turned their fortunes around. Gambhir, a shrewd and aggressive leader, became one of the celebrated captains of the IPL in 2011 when the Knight Riders made it to their first playoffs. The next three years proved to be the most rewarding for the Kolkata outfit as they won their two titles in that time.
Although the franchise did not experience the unprecedented success of 2012 and 2014, it has remained a competitive side since. As captain, Gautam Gambhir enjoyed 71 wins, 57 losses, and one tie from 129 matches with a win rate of 55.42.
Best Captain in IPL FAQ
Who is the No 1 captain in the IPL?
Although Rohit Sharma makes a strong case, MS Dhoni is still arguably the best captain in the IPL because of his sheer longevity and success in the role.
Who is the most successful captain in the IPL?
Rohit Sharma is the most successful captain in the IPL in terms of both titles and wins percentage.
Who is the best team in the IPL?
Mumbai Indians are the best team in the IPL in terms of titles, but Chennai Super Kings have the best win percentage.
Conclusion
When you learn about the most successful captains in the IPL, you both learn about the history and understand more about cricket and the IPL as a tournament. With this knowledge, you can have a better time on the betting field with Parimatch.
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