Leading an IPL team comes with a lot of expectations and responsibilities. But being a skipper is not just about leading a team but also performing with the bat or ball when it matters the most. After all, that’s what leading from the front means.
The IPL has seen many legendary captains put out impactful performances either with the bat or ball, taking their teams over the ropes. Their heroic efforts have earned them the title of Player of the Match on many occasions.
This article lists the top 10 captains with the most Player of the Match awards in the IPL’s history.
Most ‘Player of the Match’ Awards as Captain in IPL
| Player | Matches as Captain | POTM as Captain |
|---|---|---|
| MS Dhoni | 226 | 16 |
| Gautam Gambhir | 129 | 13 |
| Rohit Sharma | 158 | 13 |
| Virat Kohli | 143 | 11 |
| KL Rahul | 64 | 9 |
| Virender Sehwag | 53 | 8 |
| David Warner | 83 | 8 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 51 | 7 |
| Adam Gilchrist | 74 | 6 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 42 | 5 |
Key Insights
MS Dhoni holds the record for winning the most Player of the Match awards as a captain in the IPL. The former Indian skipper won the POTM awards 16 times.
Out of the 16 POTM awards, Dhoni earned 15 as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper. This is the most as a captain for a single IPL team. His remaining Man of the Match award came as Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) captain in 2016.
Adam Gilchrist and David Warner are the only 2 overseas players who have won 5 or more Player of the Match awards as skippers in the league. These 2 Australian players have also led Deccan Chargers and Sunriers Hyderabad to IPL title victories in 2009 and 2016, respectively.
Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, and Adam Gilchrist are the 3 players who achieved the Player of the Tournament title as captains in the IPL.
MS Dhoni is the only player to act as a captain in more than 200 IPL matches and win more than 100 games. The wicketkeeper-captain led CSK in 212 games and RPS in 14 games, equalling 226 matches.
Over 35 players have claimed the Man of the Match title as captain at least once in the IPL’s history.
