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Sachin Tendulkar for MI (L) and Hardik Pandya for GT (R) (Source: AFP/X)
Being captain of an IPL team has been one of the biggest honours in the most expensive franchise cricket league in the world. There have been a couple of players who have had an opportunity to lead a side in the tournament’s history of almost 18 years across 18 seasons.
Meanwhile, there have been captains who have led the teams to success in the IPL. That said, here we’ll have a look at the top 5 players with wins as captain in IPL history. 50 matches as captain for a player have been taken into consideration as criteria to rank the most successful captains in IPL.
Top 5 Players with most wins as captain in IPL history (as per win percentage)
Sachin Tendulkar - 58.82 %
Former legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar led his home franchise, the Mumbai Indians, in the first three IPL editions. He captained MI in 51 games, during which the team won 30 and lost 21.
With a winning percentage of 58.82, Sachin Tendulkar remains the most successful captain in the IPL history, even after almost 13 years since his retirement.
Besides leading his team to 30 wins, Sachin also showcased his batting prowess as captain, scoring 1723 runs in 51 innings at an average of 40.06, hitting a century and 10 half-centuries.
Hardik Pandya - 58.33 %
The flamboyant India all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, is one of the few skippers in the tournament’s history who won the title in their first edition as captain. Pandya captained the debutants, the Gujarat Titans, and led them to clinch their maiden title in the first-ever appearance in the 2022 edition.
Pandya has played 60 games as captain since his captaincy debut in 2022 for both GT and MI; in these games, he has won 35 and lost 25, for a winning percentage of 58.33. He ranks second in the list of the top five players with the most wins as a captain.
Speaking of his individual performances as captain in 60 games, Pandya has scored 1273 runs in 55 innings at an average of 29.60, hitting six half-centuries. With the ball, he has claimed 36 wickets in 47 innings, including a five-wicket haul to his credit.
MS Dhoni - 57.87 %
Former five-time IPL champion CSK skipper MS Dhoni holds the record for the most matches played as captain in IPL history. He has captained in 235 games for CSK and the Rising Pune Supergiants.
In these games, Dhoni has registered 136 wins, 97 defeats, and two no-result games. He has a winning percentage of 57.87, which makes him the third most successful captain in the tournament’s history. However, he, alongside Rohit Sharma, is one of the only two captains to win five IPL titles as captain.
Looking at his batting performances as captain for CSK and Supergiants, Dhoni has scored 4753 runs in 204 innings at an average of 38.64, with 22 half-centuries. He is the second-highest run-scorer in IPL history as captain.
Shreyas Iyer - 55.17 %
In what seems to be a shocking trivia for a cricket fan, Indian batter, Shreyas Iyer is the only captain in the entire IPL history to lead three different IPL teams to the tournament’s final in three different seasons. In 2020, he captained the Delhi Capitals and guided them to the final.
Later in 2024 and 2025, he made two consecutive final appearances with two different franchises, KKR and Punjab Kings. Speaking of his captaincy credentials, Iyer has won 48 games, lost 35, drawn 2, and had 2 no-result fixtures in 87 games.
With a winning percentage of 55.17, Iyer ranks fourth among the top five players with the most wins as captain in IPL history. As captain, he has scored 2598 runs in 86 innings at an average of 36.59, hitting 19 half-centuries.
Rohit Sharma - 55.06
The former Mumbai Indians skipper and the batting stalwart, Rohit Sharma, is one of the only two players to win the most IPL titles as a player. He has won six IPL titles as a player, including one as vice-captain and five as captain for the Mumbai Indians. Rohit shares this record with the former CSK and MI batter, Ambati Rayudu.
Rohit has also been one of the most successful captains in the tournament’s history, leading the Mumbai Indians in 158 matches. In these games, MI have won 87, lost 67, and tied 4.
With a 55.06 win percentage, Rohit is placed at the fifth spot among the top five players with the most wins as captain in IPL history. He has scored 3,986 runs in 157 innings at an average of 28.07, hitting 25 half-centuries. Rohit also ranks third in the list of the leading run-scorers as captain in IPL history.
