Leading a team in a marquee T20 tournament like the Indian Premier League (IPL) is a mighty task. Being the captain of an IPL team comes with a baggage of expectations and responsibilities.
Over the years, many Indian players have been privileged to lead teams in the league. However, only a handful have endured the rollercoaster ride effectively, helping their teams lift the trophy.
In this article, we’ll list the Indian captains who have won the IPL title.
6. Rajat Patidar
Rajat Patidar. Not your usual star skipper. While he did the bulk of his work with the bat for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), captaining them was a big task.
And what made the task even more challenging was the fact that RCB hadn’t won the league till 2024. But Patidar changed everything in 2025. And how!
With nine wins, RCB finished second on the points table and stormed into the playoffs. In Qualifier 1, they beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) comprehensively. RCB again defeated PBKS, this time in the final, to fulfil their long-standing dream!
5. Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer, who was on the losing side in the 2025 final, went through what Patidar experienced in 2024. Then he was with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Unlike RCB, KKR had two trophies to boast of. But here they were after their third.
And why not? They had a near-perfect campaign under Iyer’s leadership. Throughout the 2024 season, Iyer captained KKR to nine wins in the league stage and then handed defeats to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 and Final.
4. Hardik Pandya
The 2022 IPL saw two new teams join the bandwagon. One of them was Gujarat Titans (GT).
Despite being new to the league, they stunned everyone by lifting the title right away. And the major reason? Their skipper. Hardik Pandya.
The all-rounder made an impact in his maiden stint as a captain. Under his captaincy, GT secured the top spot in the points table with 10 wins.
Later, Pandya guided GT to their maiden IPL trophy by beating Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1 and Final.
3. Rohit Sharma
Almost half the tournament is done. Your regular skipper steps down. And the team appoints you as the new captain. This is what Rohit Sharma went through back in 2013.
Mumbai Indians (MI) had three wins in six matches before Sharma took over from Ricky Ponting. Leading in such a situation is definitely tricky.
But Sharma? He handled the situation well. He repaid the faith by leading MI to their maiden IPL title in 2013.
And he didn’t stop at just one trophy. MI added four more titles under his leadership in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. With five trophies, Sharma is the joint-most successful captain in the IPL.
Also Read | Five Reasons that make Rohit Sharma a Special Batsman
2. Gautam Gambhir
Before Iyer brought back glory to KKR, their mentor for the 2024 edition, Gautam Gambhir, had propelled the Knight Riders to IPL title wins in 2012 and 2014.
Gambhir moved from Delhi Daredevils to KKR in 2011. And in just the next season, the aggressive leader delivered.
What’s impressive is Gambhir led them to victory against CSK, who were looking for their third title on the trot.
Gambhir followed that up with a second silverware in the 2014 season, defeating Kings XI Punjab in the final.
1. MS Dhoni
The first two IPL seasons saw two Australian skippers lift the trophy. The 2010 IPL final, though, pitted two Indian captains against each other.
So it was almost confirmed that an Indian captain would win this season. And MS Dhoni emerged as the first one to do the honours. His CSK defeated MI, led by Sachin Tendulkar.
Dhoni had a remarkable captaincy stint for CSK, adding four more titles between 2011 and 2023. He successfully defended the title in 2011 and led CSK to three wins in 2018, 2021, and 2023.
Read Next | 5 Things That Set MS Dhoni Apart From Other Captains
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