MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most competitive T20 tournaments in the world. Each franchise is studded with top-quality players and any side on a given day has the might to give the other a run for their money. Captaining a team in such a high-pressure environment is not everyone’s cup of tea and not many skippers have been able to ace the role.
However, there are certain cricketers who have thrived as a leader and created a lot of buzz in the IPL arena with their exceptional captaincy skills. Among them, there are Indian players who have displayed their leadership prowess in the T20 carnival time and time again and marshalled their troops to many epic triumphs.
Here are the five best Indian captains in IPL history:
5. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar was one of the greatest cricketers to have ever played the game. He was a run-machine in the international arena and racked up an eye-popping tally of 18426 runs in 463 ODIs at an average of 44.83. In Tests, the Mumbai-born amassed 15921 runs in 200 games at an average of 53.78.
‘Master Blaster’ established his supremacy in the cash-rich league as well. He featured in 78 IPL games and piled on 2334 runs at a strike rate of 119.82. His batting credentials aside, Sachin also had considerable success as a leader as he captained Mumbai Indians in 51 matches and steered them to 30 wins.
With Sachin at the helm, Mumbai reached the final showdown in the third edition of the marquee event. He was the highest run-getter of the season, having notched up 618 runs in 15 outings. Moreover, the legendary cricketer guided his team to the knockout stages in IPL 2012.
4. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is one of those players who have made heads turn every time he has stepped into the cricket field. He has annihilated batters with his marauding bat and made world cricket his happy hunting ground. Also, the 34-year-old is an inspirational captain and has shown his leadership might in both the international circuit and the lucrative T20 tournament.
Talking about IPL, Kohli has featured in 239 matches and aggregated an insane tally of 6903 runs at a strike rate of 129.61. Further, the veteran batter has led Royal Challengers Bangalore in 142 matches and done a decent job, piloting the team to 66 victories.
In IPL 2016, Kohli led from the front and amassed a staggering tally of 973 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 152.03. He was spot-on with his tactics on the field and steered RCB to the summit clash. The Delhi-born also shepherded the team to playoffs in the years 2015, 2020 and 2021.
3. Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir was a bankable name in the Indian Premier League. He put up an exhibition of his glorious stroke play and took top-quality bowling attacks under the pump. The Delhi-born featured in 154 matches and accumulated 4217 runs at a strike rate of 123.88.
In 2011, Kolkata Knight Riders entrusted Gambhir with the leadership duties of the side and he played the role to perfection. KKR played some excellent cricket and qualified for the playoffs in his very first season as captain. Then in the fifth edition of the cash-rich league, KKR went on to script history by grabbing the silverware.
Gambhir weaved his magic in IPL 2014 as KKR won nine consecutive games in the tournament and clinched their second IPL title. With the legendary cricketer in charge, Kolkata also reached the knocked-out round in the ninth edition of the marquee event. Overall, he has shepherded an IPL team on 129 occasions and led the side to 71 victories.
2. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma has been a giant of a player in the Indian Premier League. He has dismantled bowling attacks at will and stamped his authority on the cricket field. The ace batter has featured in 232 IPL games and piled on 6104 runs at a strike rate of 130.03.
Besides his batting might, Rohit is also an astute tactician of the game and displayed his captaincy credentials in the IPL arena plenty of times. He has piloted Mumbai Indians to five IPL triumphs, making them the most successful team in the lucrative T20 tournament.
Rohit’s calmness under high-pressure situations is what makes him stand out as a leader. Overall, He has been the commander-in-chief of the Mumbai side in 148 matches and drove the team to 81 wins. The veteran cricketer would look to carry on the good work for MI in the seasons to come and add more feathers to his illustrious cap.
1. MS Dhoni
India has produced many match-winners but there have few of the caliber of MS Dhoni. He has been a marauder with the bat and has obliterated bowling attacks with his power-hitting might. The Ranchi-born has featured in 240 IPL matches and amassed 5037 runs at a strike rate of 135.77.
Also, the legendary cricketer has been a brilliant reader of the game and has left the cricket fraternity amazed by his skills. Dhoni knows how to bring the best out of his players and it has been key to his success as a leader. Under his leadership, Chennai Super Kings have emerged as the most consistent teams in the history of the Indian Premier League. In the 13 editions played by the franchise, CSK have won the tournament on four occasions and have been runners-up five times.
Dhoni has captained an IPL team on 217 occasions, which is the most by a player in the T20 carnival. The wicketkeeper-batter has marshalled his side to victory in 128 games. Chennai’s last triumph at the T20 extravaganza came in the year 2021 as they conquered Kolkata Knight Riders in the final showdown by 27 runs.