Best Cricket Captain in the World – In any team sport, the leader plays a decisive role for achieving success. In the game of cricket, the captain leads the team in the field and is responsible for pulling off victories. To be a captain actually demands immense imperturbability and versatility. A dexterous captain makes the best use of a team, and the players give out their finest performances. A triumphant captain takes the right decision at the precise time and garners victory for the team.
Over the years, cricket has produced some exceptional and distinguished captains who have led their teams to great heights. Some of the outstanding cricketers who are rated as best cricket captain in the world get highlighted here.
A captain widely acknowledged for his calm and composed demeanor on the field is Mahendra Singh Dhoni. His ability to make quick decisions in high-pressure situations resulted in India’s renowned 2007 T20 World Cup triumph. He also led to win the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup titles of 2010 and 2016. Under the leadership of MS Dhoni, India became the number one Test team in the world. He is regarded as the best cricket captain in the world, as he is the only captain to have won all three ICC trophies.
Another sensational captain who was an outstanding batsman and his leadership skills were second to none was Ricky Ponting. Ponting was known for his aggressive captaincy style, and he always looked to dominate the opposition. Ricky Ponting is another great cricket captain who led Australia to two World Cup victories in 2003 and 2007. He also led Australia to an Ashes victory in England in 2005. Under the captainship of Ponting, Australia played 324 matches and won 220 matches.
A successful cricket captain in South Africa’s history who always led from the front was Graeme Smith. He led South Africa to 53 Test victories, including series wins in England and Australia. Smith was known for his grit and determination. He is also considered as the finest captains as he won 163 matches out of 286 matches he captained. Graeme Smith captained the South African team after playing only 8 test matches at the age of 22.
Another Indian captain who is credited for creating a positive and supportive team culture with a high success rate is Virat Kohli. He is widely regarded as one of the best cricket captains in the world, under whom India has achieved a number of notable victories. It includes winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2018-19 against Australia, India’s first Test series win in Australia. Virat Kohli has led India in 213 matches and won 135 with 63.38% success.
Some exceptional captains over the years with unique leadership style have left a lasting legacy in the game of cricket. Here special mention can be made of Australia’s Steve Waugh with a win percentage of 66.25, and Hansie Cronje of South Africa has win rate of 65.96%.