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 IPL. However, only a handful have endured the rollercoaster ride effectively, helping their teams lift the IPL trophy.
In this article, we’ll list the Indian captains who have won the IPL title.
5. Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer became the fifth Indian captain to clinch the IPL trophy. He led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title triumph in the 2024 season.
Throughout the 2024 season, Iyer captained KKR to 9 wins in the league stage and then handed defeats to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 and Final.
4. Hardik Pandya
The new entrants in the IPL, Gujarat Titans (GT), appointed Hardik Pandya as their skipper in 2022. The all-rounder made an impact in his maiden stint as a captain, leading GT to a title victory in 2022.
With that, he became the fourth Indian player to win the IPL as captain. Under Pandya’s 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.
Also Read | 5 Most Successful Captains in IPL History
3. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma’s story is also the same as Pandya’s, though he was handed the charge of Mumbai Indians (MI) in the middle of the season. But he repaid the faith by leading MI to their maiden IPL title in 2013.
From 2013 to 2023, Rohit was at the helm of Mumbai, guiding them to 5 trophies, with the remaining 4 title victories coming in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. That makes Rohit Sharma the joint-most successful captain in terms of trophies.
Also Read | Five Reasons that make Rohit Sharma a Special Batsman
2. Gautam Gambhir
Before Iyer brought glory to KKR, their mentor for the 2024 edition, Gautam Gambhir, had propelled the Knight Riders to IPL title wins in 2012 and 2014.
KKR appointed Gambhir as the skipper of their team in 2011, and the very next season he delivered the title victory. Gambhir followed that up with a second silverware in the 2014 season, defeating Kings XI Punjab in the final.
1. MS Dhoni
After 2 Australian captains dominated the first 2 IPL seasons, MS Dhoni steered Chennai Super Kings to the IPL win in 2010. With that, Dhoni became the first Indian captain to win the IPL.
Dhoni had a remarkable captaincy stint for CSK, adding 4 more titles between 2011 and 2023. He successfully defended the title in 2011 and led CSK to 3 wins in 2018, 2021, and 2023.
