With the IPL just a couple of months away, fans are eagerly waiting for the eleventh edition of India’s biggest cricket carnival to begin.
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The mega auction took place a few weeks back, where all eight franchises bought a fresh set of players, and well-equipped themselves for the next three years.
But there were some price tags that raised quite a few eyebrows, as players went for amounts that far exceeded their perceived worth by fans all over the world.
It was a surprise to see franchises not buying captains in the auction. A captain is extremely important in T20s, which is why he can alone win you a couple of matches during the course of the season.
Here we look at the five best captains in IPL history.
Sachin Tendulkar
In terms of win percentage, Sachin Tendulkar beats everyone on this list. But we need to take into consideration the number of titles that each captain has led his team to, which is unfortunately none in Sachin’s case.
He took Mumbai to the final in 2010, when they were beaten CSK at the DY Patil stadium. While he led the scoring charts in 2010, Sachin could not inspire his team to success that year.
Nevertheless, he won 30 off the 51 games as captain of Mumbai Indians which is as mentioned before the best success rate for any captain. The lack of an IPL title though does not allow Sachin to move up this list.
Shane Warne
The legendary Aussie caught the country’s imagination, when he led Rajasthan Royals all the way to the title in the inaugural edition of the IPL.
Under Warne, Rajasthan Royals were one of the strongest sides in the competition and were always a threat to the title.
Warne led the side for 55 matches, winning 30 and losing 24, ending up a win percentage of 55.45. After a terrific first season, it slowly fell apart for Warne and Royals, as they could not return to top again.
Gautam Gambhir
One of the greatest IPL captains of all time, Gautam Gambhir is a revered figure at Eden Gardens. Starting off his IPL career with Delhi, Gambhir then moved to KKR after he was ignored by the Daredevils outfit in the auction.
Gambhir captained KKR to two IPL titles in three years, as he led the side for 107 matches, with 61 wins and a win percentage of 57.47.
The left-hander was instrumental in changing KKR’s fortunes, as under his leadership KKR went from the bottom to the top of the league in a couple of years.
Now back at Delhi, Gambhir will definitely receive a standing ovation when he does mark his return back to Kolkata this season.
MS Dhoni
The most iconic IPL captain of all time, MS Dhoni’s influence on CSK and the league as a whole can never be underestimated.
He was the poster boy that Lalit Modi needed at the very beginning in 2008, and almost led CSK to the title in the inaugural edition, falling short in the final against Warne’s Rajasthan.
He came back a couple of years later and led CSK to two consecutive IPL titles, underlining his credentials as one of the best captains the game has ever seen.
With a win percentage of 58.45, two IPL and two Champions league titles, Dhoni is right up there as one of the greatest skippers that we have ever seen.
Rohit Sharma
While some may scoff at seeing Rohit Sharma right at the top of this list, there is no denying that the Mumbai Indians skipper has had a tremendous impact on the league over the last five years.
Ever since Rohit took up the captaincy in 2013, MI have won three IPL titles, making them the most successful team in the league’s history.
The third highest run scorer in the league’s history, Rohit Sharma is a bonafide IPL legend and is an icon for the MI franchise.
With age on his side, Rohit can build on his already impressive resume as skipper!
