Cricket
Ranking the Best IPL Captains of All Time
Captains serve a crucial role in any form of cricket at any level.
Ms Dhoni of the Chennai Super Kings//Getty Images
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is known for its highly competitive nature and fervent fans, captains need to inspire and guide their teams to victory.
From MS Dhoni’s calmness under pressure to Rohit Sharma’s tactical knowledge, only the best captains can take their teams to the IPL playoffs.
SportsBoom has ranked the best captains in IPL history based on their performances as leaders and their win/loss percentages in league matches.
Top 10 best captains in IPL history
| Player | Matches | Won | Lost | W/L | Score |
| MS Dhoni (RPS/CSK) | 226 | 133 | 91 | 1.46 | 1.00 |
| RG Sharma (MI) | 158 | 87 | 67 | 1.29 | 0.79 |
| G Gambhir (DC/KKR) | 129 | 71 | 57 | 1.24 | 0.71 |
| V Kohli (RCB) | 143 | 66 | 70 | 0.94 | 0.64 |
| SS Iyer (DC/KKR) | 70 | 38 | 29 | 1.31 | 0.60 |
| SK Warne (RR) | 55 | 30 | 24 | 1.25 | 0.55 |
| DA Warner (DC/SRH) | 83 | 40 | 41 | 0.97 | 0.52 |
| SV Samson (RR) | 61 | 31 | 29 | 1.06 | 0.50 |
| KL Rahul (KXIP/LSG) | 64 | 31 | 31 | 1.00 | 0.48 |
| AC Gilchrist (DCH/KXIP) | 74 | 35 | 39 | 0.89 | 0.47 |
Methodology
To determine the IPL’s best captains, SportsBoom calculated scores using the following weightage: Matches Played - 50%, Win/Loss Ratio (W/L) - 50%.
Who is the best captain in the IPL?
MS Dhoni
There’s a reason Chennai Super Kings icon MS Dhoni is called Captain Cool.
Tied for the most league trophies with Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma (five), Dhoni is considered the IPL’s best captain due to his percentage of wins to losses (58,84%).
MSD is also the record-holder for the most wins as an IPL captain (133).
CSK claimed the IPL trophy in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023 under his leadership, as well as the short-lived Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) in 2010 and 2014.
MS Dhoni’s signature ‘helicopter shot’ was taught to him by Santosh Lal, his long-time friend and former teammate at first-class Indian side Jharkhand.
Rohit Sharma
Another strong contender for the title of best IPL team captain, Rohit Sharma is the shared record-holder for titles won in the T20 league as skipper.
His captaincy win/loss percentage for Mumbai Indians is an impressive 55.06%.
Sharma guided MI to the 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 IPL titles, the 2013 CLT20, and is one of only seven players to have reached 5,000 runs in the league.
In 2024, he was dropped as captain, sparking outrage among Mumbai fans.
Rohit Sharma collects a throw//Getty Images
Virat Kohli
Selected by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the inaugural game of IPL 2008, Kohli rose through the ranks, eventually becoming vice-captain and later captain.
In the 2011 season, he achieved a milestone of 1,000 league runs.
While Kohli has not guided RCB to the IPL trophy, he has served as an important cornerstone of their batting innings and an inspiration in the field.
In 2024, Kohli became the first player in IPL history to play 250 games for a single franchise.
Virat Kohli//Getty Images
Conclusion
The world’s best captains in the IPL were ranked based on their total matches played and their win/loss record for their respective franchises.
MS Dhoni leads our list with a perfect score of 1.0, a testament to his consistency and leadership, which maximises his experience as a cricketer.
Rohit Sharma is a close second thanks to his strategic acumen although some might debate his placing on our list due to the subjective nature of rankings.
One thing is certain - both players, and the other captains included in the top 10 greatest IPL captains, have cemented these players as IPL legends.
Bruce Douglas has more than 12 years of experience in local news media. He has worked at all levels of print and online publication, from crime and politics to photography, newspaper layout, proofreading, mentoring, sub-editing, and leading a newsroom. He played numerous sports at the school level and enjoys keeping up to date.