Cricket

List of IPL Winning Captains and Their Teams

A complete list of all IPL-winning captains, the teams they led, and the seasons in which they won the championship.

9 itemsUpdated Mar 23, 2026

The IPL has been won by 9 different captains across 18 seasons, with MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma sharing the record of most titles as captain — five each. Dhoni's five are split across 13 seasons of IPL participation, while Rohit achieved his five within a 8-year span from 2013 to 2020. Gautam Gambhir is the only captain with two titles from different eras (2012 and 2014), though Shreyas Iyer continued KKR's tradition in 2024. Shane Warne (2008) and Adam Gilchrist (2009) are the two overseas captains who won the IPL, while Hardik Pandya's 2022 debut-season title and Rajat Patidar's emotional 2025 win are among the most celebrated captaincy achievements in the tournament.

#	Name	Team	Titles	Nationality	Winning years
1	MS Dhoni — 5 Titles Chennai Super Kings — 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023 MS Dhoni is the joint-most successful IPL captain with 5 titles, all won with Chennai Super Kings. His calm under pressure, unconventional but effective tactical decisions, and the loyalty of his squad across 14 years define the greatest captaincy era in franchise cricket.	Chennai Super Kings	5	Indian	2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023
2	Rohit Sharma — 5 Titles Mumbai Indians — 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 Rohit Sharma is the joint-most successful IPL captain with 5 titles for Mumbai Indians. He won back-to-back titles twice (2019-20) and developed MI's playing identity of smart team selection, depth, and clinical execution in key matches.	Mumbai Indians	5	Indian	2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020
3	Gautam Gambhir — 2 Titles Kolkata Knight Riders — 2012, 2014 Gautam Gambhir won two IPL titles with KKR in 2012 and 2014, transforming one of the most underperforming high-profile franchises into back-to-back champions. His iron will and fiercely competitive captaincy style is credited as the foundation of KKR's winning culture.	Kolkata Knight Riders	2	Indian	2012, 2014
4	Shane Warne — 1 Title Rajasthan Royals — 2008 Shane Warne captained Rajasthan Royals to the inaugural IPL title in 2008, combining his role as a playing leg-spinner with masterful tactical captaincy. He is one of two overseas players to have won the IPL as captain.	Rajasthan Royals	1	Australian	—
5	Adam Gilchrist — 1 Title Deccan Chargers — 2009 Adam Gilchrist captained Deccan Chargers to the IPL title in 2009 in South Africa, leading one of the great turnaround stories in T20 history. He is the second overseas captain to have won the IPL.	Deccan Chargers	1	Australian	—
6	David Warner — 1 Title Sunrisers Hyderabad — 2016 David Warner captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to their sole IPL title in 2016, building a bowling-dominant side that defeated Virat Kohli's record-breaking RCB in the final. Warner is the third overseas captain to win the IPL.	Sunrisers Hyderabad	1	Australian	—
7	Hardik Pandya — 1 Title Gujarat Titans — 2022 Hardik Pandya won the IPL as debut-franchise captain in 2022, becoming one of the few captains to win the title in their very first season in charge of a brand-new team. His bold decision-making and all-round brilliance defined GT's maiden campaign.	Gujarat Titans	1	Indian	—
8	Shreyas Iyer — 1 Title Kolkata Knight Riders — 2024 Shreyas Iyer led KKR to their third title in 2024, ending a 10-year drought. His aggressive yet composed captaincy style and ability to hold the team together through the season produced KKR's most dominant title-winning campaign.	Kolkata Knight Riders	1	Indian	—
9	Rajat Patidar — 1 Title Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 2025 Rajat Patidar became the newest member of the IPL winning captains' club in 2025, leading RCB to their maiden title in the most emotionally charged championship campaign in the tournament's history after 18 years.	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	1	Indian	—

This list is compiled from verified public records and reference sources. Last verified: March 23, 2026.

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