Cricket lost one of its brightest captains when the Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni retired from international cricket. He’s one of the most successful captains in cricket history. Under his leadership, the Indian cricket team achieved many feats. Australian captain Ricky Ponting led his country to two world cups. He is also considered to be one of the best Cricket captains of all time. The New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming also played a major role in their success as a team.
There are many players in cricket who had made a name for themselves with their incredible batting skills or bowling skills. A few have become an icon with their acrobatic fielding feats. One such player was the South African Jonty Rhodes. These players inspire the next generation of youngsters to be like them. However, very few have been able to leave an impression as a captain. It is one of the most important roles of a team and the most difficult one too. In this article, we’re going to cite the best captains of all time in a list format.
8. Hansie Cronje- South Africa
After making his debut in 1992, Hansie went on to captain the South African cricket team throughout the 1990s. He was banned for life from cricket during the match-fixing allegations he was given. He still managed to be the 11th greatest South African in a vote. He showcased his top-notch skills during the 1992 World Cup and led the South African team to great heights. Under his captaincy, South Africa won 53 test matches and 138 one-day matches. He is considered to be one of the best Cricket captains of all time.
7. Sourav Ganguly- India
The greatest Bengali cricketer ever, Sourav Ganguly has tasted much success with the Indian National team too. He had a long career of 22 years from 1990 to 2012. He led the team to 11 overseas test wins, which was a record at the time. He was an integral part of the team for a long time and consistently played well. He was so good with batting that he is considered one of the best left-handed batsmen in the history of the game and one of the if not the best one-day international players. He still holds the record of second-highest ODI run scorer after more than a decade of his retirement. For all these feats, he is considered to be the best captain of all time. He also won 4 consecutive Man of the Match awards.
6. Virat Kohli – India
Virat Kohli took over the test captaincy in 2014 when Dhoni retired and did the same with the ODI captaincy in 2017. Under him, the team did well and reached a World Cup semi-final. He led India to many test wins and inspired many matches single-handedly. He should be a worthy captain to be included in the best Cricket captains of all time list.
5. Mohammad Azharuddin- India
He was an integral part of the Indian team during the 1980s. He took over the captaincy when Srikanth stepped down. Under his leadership, the team won 14 tests and 47 one-day matches. At the time, India’s batting line-up was not very good, still he made his impact. However, the match-fixing scandal impacted his legacy. Still, he can be considered to be one of the best captains of all time.
4. Arjuna Ranatunga- Sri Lanka
Ranatunga is the most successful Sri Lankan captain to play for them. He led them to 14 test victories and played in all of the country’s test matches except for 5 of them. He pulled off many great results as a captain and led the team to a World Cup win along with many multilateral trophies. His exploits for his country solidify his position as the best Cricket captain of all time.
3. Stephen Fleming- New Zealand
Stephen Fleming is said to be one of the, if not the best captain of all time. He was the captain of the Kiwis in three formats of cricket. His test exploits are unmatched to this day. The team won the ICC knockout tournament under his captaincy and had a good run in the 2003 World Cup.
2. Ricky Ponting- Australia
He is one of the most successful and best Cricket captains of all time. He led Australia to two World Cup victories and is the country’s top scorer in test and ODI. He is also considered to be one of the greatest fielders ever. He left his impression on the Australian team and he is the only player to win 100 tests.
1- Mahendra Singh Dhoni
He doesn’t need an introduction. Dhoni has left his impression as the best Cricket captain of all time. With his mental games, he has changed many games. He is the only captain to win an ICC tournament in all formats of the game. Other than being a great finisher, he is one of the best keepers in the history of the game. There are many stats showing his greatness but his World Cup win will always immortalize his legacy in India.
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