Cricket

List of Captains Who Won the IPL

A complete list of all captains who have lifted the IPL trophy, ranked by number of titles won, including their team and winning years.

9 itemsUpdated Mar 22, 2026

Leadership has been the defining factor in IPL success, and no two captains have demonstrated this better than MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma — both of whom have lifted the IPL trophy five times, making them the most successful captains in the tournament's history. Dhoni's calm under pressure and Rohit's strategic brilliance have set the gold standard. Gautam Gambhir led KKR to two titles and is now an India head coach. Hardik Pandya joined the elite club in his debut season as a captain in 2022. In 2025, Rajat Patidar became the newest entry into this prestigious list, leading RCB to their maiden title.

#	Name	Team	Nationality	Winning years	Titles as captain
1	MS Dhoni Chennai Super Kings — 5 Titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023) MS Dhoni is the joint-most successful captain in IPL history with 5 titles. His calm demeanour, finishing ability, and unmatched tactical acumen across 13 years of IPL captaincy set the benchmark for franchise cricket leadership.	Chennai Super Kings	Indian	2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023	5
2	Rohit Sharma Mumbai Indians — 5 Titles (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) Rohit Sharma is the joint-most successful IPL captain with 5 titles for Mumbai Indians. Under him, MI won back-to-back titles twice (2019–2020) and produced some of the most dominant IPL dynasties ever seen.	Mumbai Indians	Indian	2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020	5
3	Gautam Gambhir Kolkata Knight Riders — 2 Titles (2012, 2014) Gautam Gambhir led KKR to back-to-back IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, transforming the franchise into champions. His aggressive, team-first leadership style remains one of the most celebrated in IPL captaincy history.	Kolkata Knight Riders	Indian	2012, 2014	2
4	Shane Warne Rajasthan Royals — 1 Title (2008) Shane Warne won the inaugural IPL title in 2008 by leading an unfancied Rajasthan Royals side to the championship with astute leadership, smart use of his squad, and an inspired team selection strategy.	Rajasthan Royals	Australian	2008	1
5	Adam Gilchrist Deccan Chargers — 1 Title (2009) Adam Gilchrist led Deccan Chargers to an unlikely title in 2009 in South Africa, reversing their fate from finishing last the previous year. His aggressive opening batting and calm leadership were central to their triumph.	Deccan Chargers	Australian	2009	1
6	David Warner Sunrisers Hyderabad — 1 Title (2016) David Warner guided SRH to their only IPL title in 2016 with a batting-first, aggression-heavy approach. SRH's strong bowling attack under his leadership suffocated the record-breaking RCB side in the final.	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Australian	2016	1
7	Hardik Pandya Gujarat Titans — 1 Title (2022) Hardik Pandya became one of the few captains to win the IPL in their debut season when he led Gujarat Titans to the title in 2022. His aggressive leadership style and all-round brilliance galvanised a new franchise instantly.	Gujarat Titans	Indian	2022	1
8	Shreyas Iyer Kolkata Knight Riders — 1 Title (2024) Shreyas Iyer led KKR to their third IPL title in 2024, ending a 10-year drought with a dominant campaign. KKR's aggressive batting philosophy and tactical bowling in the final produced the most one-sided title victory in IPL history.	Kolkata Knight Riders	Indian	2024	1
9	Rajat Patidar Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 1 Title (2025) Rajat Patidar became the newest entry into the IPL-winning captains' list in 2025, leading RCB to their maiden title after 18 years. His composed leadership through a high-pressure season was widely praised.	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	Indian	2025	1

This list is compiled from verified public records and reference sources. Last verified: March 22, 2026.

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