In a high-octane tournament like the Indian Premier League (IPL), every individual dreams of winning the coveted title, be it players or head coaches.
With so many ups and downs throughout a season, it’s a steep task to win the whole thing. However, there are a few lucky individuals who have been successful in winning the IPL, both as players and head coaches of teams.
On that note, let’s look at the individuals who have won the IPL title as players and head coaches.
1. Shane Warne
The legendary Australian spinner, Shane Warne, donned the dual hats of captaining and coaching Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2008. He balanced the dual responsibility to perfection, leading the Royals to their maiden title victory in the inaugural IPL season.
Warne received plaudits for his brilliant work with a young and inexperienced squad. He captained RR till the 2011 season, winning 30 of the 55 matches, and remained their coach till 2012.
2. Darren Lehmann
Darren Lehmann was part of the title-winning Rajasthan squad in 2008, although he featured in only 2 games for them.
The next season, he turned into a coach for Deccan Chargers and helped them clinch the IPL trophy. That remarkable achievement made him the first individual to win the IPL as a player and a head coach in two different seasons.
Lehmann occupied the head coach position until 2012, however, he couldn’t replicate the 2009 triumph.
Also Read | 5 Most Successful Captains in IPL History
3. Ricky Ponting
In 2013, Mumbai Indians (MI) acquired the services of former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and appointed him as their captain. However, he led them in only 6 games that season, and those were the only matches he featured for Mumbai.
Once Ponting handed over the captaincy duties to Rohit Sharma midway through the season, Rohit led MI to their maiden title triumph.
Later, Ponting became the advisor of Mumbai for the 2014 season and assumed the head coach role in 2015, guiding them to their second IPL victory. He remained their coach for one more season, before being replaced by Mahela Jayawardene in 2017.
4. Ashish Nehra
Ashish Nehra is the only Indian on this list to achieve the double of winning the IPL as a player and a head coach.
The left-arm pacer was part of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 2016 title-winning squad. He featured in 8 matches, picking up 9 wickets, before being ruled out with an injury.
In 2022, IPL’s newcomers, Gujarat Titans, roped Nehra in as their head coach. In his first season itself, Nehra helped the Titans lay their hands on the silverware.
