Top 5 players who have captained a single team for most matches in IPL

Here we take a look at the top 5 players who have captained a single team for most matches in the IPL history.

Chennai Super Kings' very own, MS Dhoni has completed 200 matches as CSK's captain when he took the field tonight against Rajasthan Royals. Known by the sobriquet of Thala, MSD is the only player to achieve this feat. A part of the franchise since the league's inception, MS Dhoni has led the team to many glorious years.

Not many captains have been able to reach near MS Dhoni's stats as a captain. No other captain has led a single team in even 150 matches. Having a single captain through the seasons speaks highly about the player himself and the management's trust in that particular player. Over the years, franchises have struggled to find a permanent skipper for their side unlike CSK and a few others.

Mumbai Indians (MI) under Rohit Sharma, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) under Virat Kohli, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) under Gautam Gambhir were the few franchises that have had a permanent skipper for many years. Even now, MI have entrusted this responsibility to Rohit Sharma.

Here are the top 5 players who have led a single team in most matches in IPL

5. David Warner (SRH) - 67 Matches

The dashing southpaw has been one of the most important players for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) over the years. Given his records with the bat, David Warner has been the chief scorer for the franchise in his years of reign. 2016, a year written in gold for the SRH franchise, happened under the leadership of David Warner. David Warner was one of the main reasons behind the title-winning year for SRH in 2016.

Mass producer of runs, David was the highest run-scorer for them in their title-winning effort with a monumental 848 runs at a strike rate of 151.42. The left-hander was also their leading scorer, having won the Orange Cap three times in 2015, 2017, and 2019.

In total, David Warner has captained SRH in 67 matches out of which SRH won 35 times and lost 30 matches. His win percentage of 52.24 was also on the impressive side.

4. Gautam Gambhir (KKR) - 108 Matches

One of the few franchises with multiple title years, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) did not have a few good initial years. From 2008 till 2010, KKR could not find a berth for itself in the top four. It was then under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir, that KKR broke into the top four for the first time. In his very first stint as KKR's captain, Gautam took the team to the limelight of Eliminator. Following was the year of glory for KKR in 2012 when they first got their hands on the coveted IPL trophy.

After a blip in 2013, Gautam Gambhir took his team to another glorious year in 2014 when they became only the second team to win the title multiple times. In his stint of seven years as KKR captain, Gautam Gambhir managed to achieve many accolades for his team and himself.

He is only the fourth captain in the history of IPL to have captained a single franchise for more than 100 matches.

3. Virat Kohli (RCB) - 140 Matches

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), one of the most talked about franchises in IPL, are yet to claim the elusive trophy even after 15 years. Not only for RCB, but Virat Kohli is also one of the most successful captains in the history of IPL. With a decade of experience leading the franchise starting from 2011 till 2021, Kohli is the only captain with over 100 matches as captain to have lost more matches than won. Moreover, he is also the only captain amongst the ones who have led a single team for more than 100 matches with a win percentage under 50.

The captain's side of Kohli in the IPL may not have the backing of numbers, but he has let his bat do the talking for years for RCB. Captained in 140 matches for RCB, Kohli has managed to win 64 matches and has lost 69 matches while three matches ended in a tie and four games had no result. He ended his run as RCB's captain with a win percentage of 48.16.

2. Rohit Sharma (MI) - 146 Matches

Inarguably the most successful captain in the history of IPL in terms of trophies won, Rohit Sharma has changed the face of Mumbai Indians since his days of command in the unit. He was snapped by MI in the mega-auctions of 2011 and a couple of years later he was handed the leash of the team. And as we say, the rest is history.

MI have won five trophies and all of them under Rohit Sharma, which speaks highly about the credentials of Rohit Sharma as a captain. In his very first year of assuming the office in 2013, Rohit Sharma led MI to their maiden IPL title followed by a championship in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.

Rohit Sharma has led MI for 146 matches thus far. With 80 wins, 62 losses, and four tied results, Rohit Sharma has a win percentage of 56.16. After a forgetful season of IPL in 2022, Rohit Sharma will look to redeem himself in IPL 2023.

1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (CSK) - 200 Matches

The man behind the wheel for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for 14 years highlights the importance of MS Dhoni for the franchise. Since the very beginning of the league in 2008, MSD has been at the helm of CSK. Dhoni's brilliance with the bat, his skills with the gloves, and his tactical mind behind the stumps are a few of the many reasons behind CSK's success over the years.

A path not taken by any, Dhoni will become the first and the only captain to lead a single franchise in 200 matches in match no. 17 of IPL 2023 against Rajasthan Royals (RR). MS Dhoni has led CK to four titles in the years - 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021. One of the most cherished moments by CSK and Dhoni fans was the story of their comeback in 2018. After being banned for a couple of years, CSK made a resounding comeback and claimed the championship for the third time.

MS Dhoni's numbers as CSK's captain are staggering. In 199 games so far, he has won 120 games, lost only 78, and a solitary match ended in no result. He also boasts of a healthy win percentage of 60.60. After failing to make an impact in IPL 2022, Dhoni will look to make up for it in IPL 2023.

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