The Indian Premier League, popularly referred to as the IPL, is one of the most anticipated and popular sports tournaments in India.
This tournament has developed a lot over the years and has seen many players setting up their entire cricketing career on the backbone of the IPL. The history of IPL has also seen a lot of captains who have led their teams to valuable victories. However, there have been only a few who have been able to leave a mark in the minds of the people as some of the best captains and leaders ever in the history of the Indian Premier League.
A smart and effective captain is very valuable for the franchise as he plays a very crucial role in keeping players from all over the globe together and playing as one team, as well lead the team towards the path of victory in the tournament. Here are the top 5 best captains in the entire history of IPL:
#5 Shane Warne (Matches – 55, Won – 30, Lost – 24, Tie – 1, Win% – 55.45)
The Australian cricketer, a legendary leg-spinner, with loads of experience in all formats of the game, as well as the feather of winning 10 out of the 11 one-day that he captained for Australia under his hat, Shane Warne was given the responsibility of leading the Rajasthan Royals in the first-ever season of this extravagant tournament.
He had a team of young players with little or no experience, and he did what no one had ever imagined. With a line-up that even the most optimistic fans of the Royals might have doubted, he led the side to the title of victory in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. He helped the Royals to invest in young talents like Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja. He led the Royals for 55 matches from 2008 to 2011 before announcing retirement.
#4 Gautam Gambhir (Matches – 123, Won – 70, Lost – 52, Tied – 1, Win% – 57.31)
Gautam Gambhir is one of the most aggressive captains in the history of IPL and he has led the Kolkata Knight Riders to some very glorious victories when he led the side. The player initially started with the Delhi Daredevils, but changed the fate of the Knight Riders as soon as entered their camps and was given the responsibility of being the captain.
Gambhir has led the Kolkata Knight Riders to victory and has helped them bagged the title twice. His captaincy helped him excel as a batsman as well and he proved to be a wonderful one in the 2012 edition. With 70 wins out of the 123 matches, his win percentage is on the higher side. Gambhir again returned to the Delhi Daredevils in the latest edition of the IPL but he will always be remembered for his amazing captaincy with the Knight Riders.
#3 MS Dhoni (Matches – 143, Won – 83, Lost – 59, Tied – 0, NR – 1, Win% – 58.45)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also referred to as ‘Captain Cool’, is one of the most influential and successful captains in not only the history of IPL but also in the history of Indian Cricket. His unique way of captaincy has helped the Chennai Super Kings become the most successful franchises in the Indian Premier League.
Dhoni is very well known to bring out new talents in the form of Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, and Ravichandran Ashwin, the trio that he kept backing up continuously. Dhoni has led the Super Kings for 143 matches, the most by any captain in the IPL. He had also helped the side to grab the title more than a couple of times with crucial captaincy tactics.
#2 Sachin Tendulkar (Matches – 51, Won – 30, Lost – 21, Tied – 0, Win% – 58.82)
The Master Blaster, a batsman whose name has been written in golden letters in the history of Indian Cricket, has not failed to leave a mark on the IPL as well. Sachin Tendulkar led the Mumbai Indians from 2008 to 2011, and he took the team to the final of the 2011 edition. He was a very successful captain with a win percentage of 58.82 in the IPL even though his captaincy stint ended up not so good with the Indian team.
The captaincy helped the top order batsmen excel in his batting and he effortlessly bagged the orange cap in 2010 when he took his team to the playoffs. However, he decided to give up his captaincy in 2011 and become the mentor of the Mumbai Indians to guide the side towards victories.
#1 Rohit Sharma (Matches – 75, Won – 45, Lost – 29, Tied – 1, Win% – 60.66)
Rohit Sharma is the most successful skipper in the entire history of IPL with the highest win percentage of 60.66. The popular and successful Indian opener has led the Mumbai Indians to win the IPL title thrice in the various editions. The captain has helped and nurtured the likes of players like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, who have now become integral players of the Indian Cricket Team.
Rohit took over the Mumbai Indians in 2013, and he effortlessly led the side to win the title in his very first edition as the skipper. He later helped the team win the titles of 2015 and 2017 as well. Even though very less vocal, his presence on the field is a boost to the players.
The Indian Premier League has always seen a lot of players rising in the field of cricket starting off in this tournament and we hope to see many more such players in the upcoming years of this glittering and glamourous sports event, the biggest in India.
