Top 5 captains with the highest win percentages in ODI cricket ft. Rohit Sharma
Captaincy plays an important role in any team's success in ODI cricket. The 50-over format compels the teams to prepare smart strategies and get the best results out of the available resources. The captain has to change his plans as per the match's situation, and we have seen quite a few great players have failed as captains in ODI cricket.
At the same time, the world has witnessed some top-quality leaders in the 50-over format's history. Ricky Ponting is the first name that comes to the mind when talking about ODI captains. The former Australian skipper led his nation to World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007. Overall, Ponting had a win percentage of 71.74%.
Only three captains have a better win percentage than Ponting in ODI cricket. Here's a list of the top five captains with the highest win percentages.
(Please Note: Only players who captained their teams in at least 30 matches have been considered.)
#5 Hansie Cronje - 70.71%
Hansie Cronje is considered to be one of the greatest captains of all time in ODI cricket history. The South African team won more than 70% matches while playing under Cronje's captaincy.
He captained the Proteas in 140 matches from 1994 to 2000, recording 99 wins and 37 defeats. The match-fixing scandal negatively impacted his legacy as a player and captain in international cricket.
#4 Ricky Ponting - 71.74%
Ricky Ponting owns the record for the most matches and most wins as a captain in ODI cricket, but he holds the fourth spot on this list. The former Australian skipper led his nation to 165 victories in 230 matches.
It was rare to see the Australian team lose a match under Ponting's captaincy. As mentioned above, Australia won the 2003 and 2007 editions of the ODI World Cup under Ponting.
#3 Faf du Plessis - 71.79%
Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis holds the fifth position on this list. Faf captained the Proteas in 39 matches, where the team registered 28 wins and 10 losses. One match did not produce a winner.
Faf captained South Africa for the first time in 2013, while his last match as skipper came in the 2019 World Cup. He is no longer a part of the Proteas squad in ODI cricket.
#2 Rohit Sharma - 75.61%
Current Indian captain Rohit Sharma is the only Asian player to feature on this list. Sharma has been India's full-time captain since the start of 2022, but he made his captaincy debut in 2017.
So far, India have played 41 matches under Sharma's leadership, registering 31 wins and only nine defeats. One game did not produce a winner. His win percentage stands at 75.61% right now.
#1 Clive Lloyd - 76.19%
Clive Lloyd led the West Indies team to their first two World Cup wins in 1975 and 1979. Lloyd captained West Indies in 84 matches from 1975 to 1985. The Caribbean team won 64 out of the 84 games.
His win percentage was 76.19% when his career ended. Lloyd only lost 18 matches as captain, while there was one tie and one no result for West Indies under his leadership.