MS Dhoni vs Shreyas Iyer - comparing their captaincy record in the IPL after 70 matches
The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) is almost here, with the 18th season of the renowned tournament kicking off on March 22. The opening match will see Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clash with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens.
KKR won the 2024 edition, securing their third IPL title and their first under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. However, this time around, Iyer will be leading the Punjab Kings. The Indian batter has made a mark in the IPL as a captain, having previously led Delhi Capitals to an IPL final in the 2020 season.
On the other hand, former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni remains one of the greatest in IPL history, guiding the franchise to five titles. As the 2025 season approaches, this article takes a look at the captaincy records of Shreyas Iyer and MS Dhoni after 70 IPL games.
Comparing the captaincy records of MS Dhoni and Shreyas Iyer in the IPL after 70 matches
#1 Overall record after 70 games
MS Dhoni holds the record for captaining the most IPL matches (226). His first 70 matches were from the 2008 to 2012 seasons, all as the captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK). During these 70 games, CSK won 42, lost 27, and one match ended in no result, giving Dhoni a winning percentage of 60.87%.
On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer has captained 70 matches across two franchises, Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In those 70 games, the 30-year-old has led his teams to victory 40 times, suffered defeat in 29 matches, and one ended in no result, giving him a winning percentage of 54.28%.
#2 Record as captain in Playoffs
During MS Dhoni's first 70 games as captain in the IPL, the team played seven playoff matches, winning five of them. CSK were beaten in the final of the inaugural 2008 season and in the semifinals of the 2009 edition. However, under Dhoni's leadership, they went on to claim the IPL titles in 2010 and 2011.
On the other hand, in the 2020 IPL season, Shreyas Iyer made history as the first captain to lead Delhi Capitals to an IPL final. He later tasted victory as the captain of KKR in the 2024 season. Over the course of three seasons, Shreyas has led DC and KKR in seven playoff matches, winning four of them.
#3 Runs scored
In his first 70 games as captain in the IPL, MS Dhoni scored 1,626 runs in 61 innings, averaging 37.81 with a strike rate of 135.61. His tally included eight fifties, with his highest score being an unbeaten 70 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2011.
In contrast, Shreyas Iyer has accumulated 1,994 runs in 69 innings, with an average of 33.81 and a strike rate of 129.16. His tally includes 12 fifties, with his highest score being an unbeaten 93 against KKR in 2018 at Arun Jaitley Stadium.