IPL 2021: 5 players with most IPL matches as captain
Captaincy in IPL is quite different compared to international cricket or domestic matches. Generally, players from multiple countries feature in the same playing XI of an IPL game. Hence, the language barrier makes it difficult to communicate within the squad.
There is also pressure from the franchise owners to ensure that the team performs well in the competition. Quite a few big names struggled while leading a squad in the IPL, proving that leadership in this competition is not everyone's cup of tea.
However, many players have had an extended stay as their IPL team's captain, thanks to their excellent captaincy record. Such leaders have led their teams for multiple seasons. So far, there are nine players who have captained over 50 IPL matches. Here's a list of the top five players with the most IPL matches as captain.
5. Adam Gilchrist - 74 IPL matches
Adam Gilchrist was the second captain to win the Indian Premier League trophy. He joined the Deccan Chargers in the inaugural IPL season and played a few matches under VVS Laxman's captaincy before replacing the Team India legend as captain.
Gilchrist led the Chargers to their maiden IPL title in the 2009 season, while the Chargers finished fourth in 2010. Although Gilchrist performed well for the Deccan Chargers, the franchise released him before the 2011 mega auction.
The veteran Australian wicketkeeper then became a member of the Punjab Kings squad. The Mohali-based franchise soon elected him as their new skipper. Gilchrist captained in a total of 74 IPL matches, where his team won 35 times. His win percentage in the competition was 47.29%.
4. Rohit Sharma - 117 matches
Interestingly, the man who holds the record for the most IPL trophies is not the player to have captained in the most matches. Rohit Sharma took over the captaincy of the Mumbai Indians from Ricky Ponting in 2013.
Since then, he has led the side in 117 matches, where MI have registered 68 wins and 45 losses. Currently, Rohit has the best win percentage among the captains who have led their team in at least 50 games.
The two-time defending champions are looking forward to completing a hat-trick of championship wins in IPL 2021. It will be interesting to see if Rohit Sharma can become the first skipper in IPL history to achieve this feat.