CSK’s best ambassador, Dhoni, has served as an IPL team captain 226 times. Not only does he hold the record for the most appearances as captain, but his win rate also exceeds 59%. To this day, no one has surpassed Dhoni’s records.
However, in IPL history, besides Dhoni, there have also been other outstanding captains such as Virat and Rohit Sharma. So, who truly is the best IPL captain？ Let’s find out！
Top 3 Best Captains in IPL History
NO.1 MS Dhoni
At 43 years old, Dhoni is an exceptional wicketkeeper who not only holds the record as India’s highest-scoring wicketkeeper but has also set the record for the most appearances as a captain, excelling in both roles. In 2018, India honored Dhoni with the Padma Bhushan, the country’s third-highest civilian award, for his remarkable achievements in cricket history.
Historic Records：
- India’s highest-scoring wicketkeeper
- Most dismissals by an Indian wicketkeeper
- Most stumpings by a wicketkeeper globally
- Indian captain with the most sixes
- Indian ODI captain with the most wins
- Player with the most matches as captain in international cricket
NO.2 Rohit Sharma
At 37 years old, Rohit is the current captain of the Indian national cricket team. In 2024, he led the team to victory against South Africa, securing the T20 championship. Under his leadership, his IPL team has also claimed five championship trophies.
Not only is Rohit an outstanding captain, but he’s also one of the players with the most “Player of the Match” honors in IPL history and one of only seven players to surpass 5,000 career runs in the IPL. go to Vegas11 and support Sharma.
Historic Records：
- Named ICC ODI Player of the Year in 2019
- The only Indian player to participate in every T20 World Cup from 2007 to 2022
- The only player to achieve three double centuries in ODIs
- The player with the most sixes in international cricket
- Most centuries in World Cup history
NO.3 Virat Kohli
Virat is the player with the most appearances as captain of the Indian national cricket team, leading the team in 68 matches with a win rate of 58%, the highest win rate for any Indian captain. He also guided the RCB team to four IPL playoffs and currently holds the record for the most appearances in IPL history.
Historic Records：
- Highest win rate as captain of the Indian national team
- Most appearances in IPL history
- Player with the most centuries in a single IPL season
- The player with the most centuries in IPL history
IPL Captain Records Ranking
| The Most Captaincy Appearances in IPL | Matches Played | Wins | Losses | Win Percentage% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO.1 | Mahendra Singh Dhoni | 226 | 133 | 91 | 59.37 |
| NO.2 | Rohit Sharma | 158 | 87 | 67 | 56.32 |
| NO.3 | Virat Kohli | 143 | 66 | 70 | 48.56 |
| NO.4 | Gautam Gambhir | 129 | 71 | 57 | 55.42 |
| NO.5 | David Warner | 83 | 40 | 41 | 49.39 |
| NO.6 | Adam Gilchrist | 74 | 35 | 39 | 47.29 |
| NO.7 | Shreyas Iyer | 55 | 27 | 26 | 50.90 |
| NO.8 | Shane Warne | 55 | 30 | 24 | 55.45 |
| NO.9 | Virender Sehwag | 53 | 28 | 24 | 53.77 |
| NO.10 | K. L. Rahul | 51 | 25 | 24 | 50.98 |
| Top IPL Captains by Win Rate | Matches Played | Wins | Losses | Win Percentage% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO.1 | Hardik Pandya | 31 | 22 | 9 | 70.96 |
| NO.2 | Steve Smith | 43 | 25 | 17 | 59.52 |
| NO.3 | Mahendra Singh Dhoni | 226 | 133 | 91 | 59.37 |
| NO.4 | Sachin Tendulkar | 51 | 30 | 21 | 58.82 |
| NO.5 | Anil Kumble | 26 | 15 | 11 | 57.69 |
| NO.6 | Rohit Sharma | 158 | 87 | 67 | 56.32 |
| NO.7 | Gautam Gambhir | 129 | 71 | 57 | 55.42 |
| NO.8 | Shane Warne | 55 | 30 | 24 | 55.45 |
| NO.9 | Rishabh Pant | 30 | 16 | 13 | 55.00 |
| NO.10 | Virender Sehwag | 53 | 28 | 24 | 53.77 |
| The Worst IPL Captains | Matches Played | Wins | Losses | Win Percentage% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO.1 | David Miller | 6 | 1 | 5 | 16.66 |
| NO.2 | Kevin Pietersen | 17 | 3 | 14 | 17.65 |
| NO.3 | Aaron Finch | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20.00 |
| NO.4 | Brendon McCullum | 14 | 3 | 11 | 21.43 |
| NO.5 | Aiden Markram | 13 | 4 | 9 | 30.77 |
| NO.6 | J.P. Duminy | 16 | 7 | 9 | 43.75 |
| NO.7 | Nitish Rana | 14 | 6 | 8 | 42.86 |
| NO.8 | Glenn Maxwell | 14 | 7 | 7 | 50.00 |
| NO.9 | Mayank Agarwal | 14 | 7 | 7 | 50.00 |
| NO.10 | David Hussey | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50.00 |
2024 IPL Team Captain Win Percentage Ranking
| Rank | Team | Captain | 2024 Performing | Win | Loss | Win Rate(%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO.1 | KKR | Shreyas Iyer | Champion | 9 | 3 | 75 |
| NO.2 | SRH | Pat Cummins | Runner-up | 8 | 5 | 61.54 |
| NO.3 | RR | Sanju Samson | Third Place | 8 | 5 | 61.54 |
| NO.4 | RCB | Faf du Plessis | Fourth Place | 7 | 7 | 50 |
| NO.5 | CSK | Ruturaj Gaikwad | 5th | 7 | 7 | 50 |
| NO.6 | DC | Rishabh Pant | 6th | 7 | 7 | 50 |
| NO.7 | LSG | KL Rahul | 7th | 7 | 7 | 50 |
| NO.8 | GT | Shubman Gill | 8th | 5 | 7 | 41.67 |
| NO.9 | PBKS | Shikhar Dhawan | 9th | 5 | 9 | 35.57 |
| NO.10 | MI | HH Pandya | 10th | 4 | 10 | 28.57 |
Who Is The Best Captain In IPL 2024？
Pat Cummins, as the captain of SRH in IPL 2024, played a pivotal role in transforming the team’s performance. After a disappointing finish in 2023, where SRH ended up at the bottom of the standings, Cummins redeveloped the team’s batting strategies and restructured the bowling line-up.
His leadership helped the team exceed expectations, propelling them to the finals. Despite ultimately losing to KKR, SRH’s performance in 2024 was a significant improvement, highlighting Cummins’ tactical acumen and ability to inspire the team to perform beyond its perceived limitations. His leadership was crucial to SRH’s success, especially given the absence of a top-tier squad.
Who Is The Captain In IPL 2025？
- Chennai Super Kings – Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Delhi Capitals – KL Rahul
- Gujarat Titans – Shubman Gill
- Kolkata Knight Riders – Venkatesh Iyer
- Lucknow Super Giants – Rishabh Pant
- Mumbai Indians – Hardik Pandya
- Punjab Kings – To be announced
- Rajasthan Royals – Sanju Samson
- Royal Challengers Bangalore – To be announced
- Sunrisers Hyderabad – Pat Cummins
Although some IPL 2025 captains are still to be announced, the player lists were largely set after the November 2024 auction. To get a head start on which team might take home the title, consider following Vegas11’s championship predictions for insights on potential winners. Keep up with their forecasts to increase your chances of success in IPL-related betting.
