Best Captain in the World | 2024 Top Cricket Captains

(List Last updated: 17th January, 2024)

Being the captain of one’s national cricket team is the realization of every player’s dreams, representing the pinnacle of honor bestowed upon individuals worldwide. The qualities that define a great cricket captain are diverse and multifaceted. Some captains inspire through personal performance, leading by example on the field.

A captain leading the best team may not necessarily be the best captain, as the team’s overall strength can overshadow individual leadership. Conversely, a struggling team can unfairly cast a shadow on the leadership skills of an otherwise exceptional captain. Let’s take a closer look at some of the cricket world’s finest captains.

What makes a good cricket captain?

When it comes to the best captain in the world for cricket, opinions vary across individuals. If we focus solely on statistics, Ricky Ponting’s impressive 62.33% win rate ranks among the best, second only to Steve Waugh. However, Ponting led an exceptional Test team, where individual success could be attributed to the overall team strength.

Defining a great cricket captain extends beyond statistics, involving qualities like maintaining team harmony, as seen in Ponting’s case. Other crucial traits include tactical acumen, leadership skills, and a strong personality, exemplified by Stephen Fleming elevating New Zealand’s performance and Brian Lara’s solo contributions to the West Indies team. There have been great cricketers who have earned a deserving spot on our list of best captain in the world, but a few exceptional individuals stand out.

Captaincy challenges often go beyond the cricket field, as evident in Nasser Hussain’s handling of political issues during the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup and MS Dhoni carrying the weight of a nation in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. These diverse challenges make it difficult to definitively pinpoint the best captain in the world.

Best Captain in the World

Here are some of the best captain in the world according to us that make the all time list. Legends like MS Dhoni, Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting and Brian Lara have been remarkable in putting up performances and showcasing their brilliance as excellent planners, strategists and cricket captains. 

Name	Country	Years as Captain	Matches as Captain	Won	Lost	Win %
MS Dhoni	India	2008-2014	60	27	18	45%
Graeme Smith	South Africa	2003-2014	109	53	29	48.62%
Steve Waugh	Australia	1999-2004	57	41	9	71.92%
Clive Lloyd	West Indies	1974-1985	74	36	12	48.64%
Imran Khan	Pakistan	1982-1992	48	14	8	29.16%
Stephen Fleming	New Zealand	1997-2006	80	28	27	35%
Allan Border	Australia	1984-1994	93	32	22	34.4%
Ricky Ponting	Australia	2004-2010	77	48	16	62.33%
Brian Lara	West Indies	1997-2006	47	10	26	21.27%
Virat Kohli	India	2014-2022	68	40	17	58.82%

MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni surpasses most in captaincy prowess, being an inspirational leader, exceptional under pressure, and a formidable cricketer. His excellence extends beyond leadership, showcasing accomplished batting skills and top-tier wicketkeeping.

Juggling these roles at a high level is a challenge, but Dhoni seamlessly combined them all, and this makes him the top pick on our list of best captain in the world for cricket. What truly set him apart was his extraordinary ability to thrive under extreme pressure. Leading India to victory in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, Dhoni faced colossal expectations, and his success defined his legacy. Had he not delivered, history might have cast a different judgment.

Dhoni’s distinctive qualities include quick thinking under pressure, unwavering calm amid chaos, and an unyielding self-belief and determination to secure victory, distinguishing him among his peers and making him one of the best captain in the world.

Format	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s
Test	90	144	16	4876	224	38.09	8249	59.11	6	33	544	78
ODI	350	297	84	10773	183	50.57	12303	87.56	10	73	826	229
T20I	98	85	42	1617	56	37.60	1282	126.13	0	2	116	52

Format

Mat

Inns

Balls

Runs

Wkts

BBI

BBM

Ave

Econ

SR

5w

10w

Test

90

7

96

67

0

–

–

–

4.18

–

0

0

ODI

350

2

36

31

1

1/14

1/14

31.00

5.16

36.0

0

0

T20I

98

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Read More: List of Cricketers with most runs in International cricket

Steve Waugh

Steve Waugh emerged as one of cricket’s ultimate warriors on the field. Despite not being the most naturally talented batsman, and even trailing behind in his own family, Waugh crafted a successful Test career with an impressive average of 51.06 across 166 Test matches.

Continuing the legacy started by Alan Border, Waugh, as captain, transformed Australia into an unstoppable force. With an impressive win percentage of 71.92, he led the team to a world-record 16 successive Test match victories.

Beyond his Test achievements, Waugh played a pivotal role in Australia’s 1987 World Cup triumph and captained the team to victory in the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup. His leadership and contributions left an indelible mark on Australian cricket – and a deserving spot on our list of best captain in the world.

Format	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s
Test	168	260	46	10927	200	51.06	22461	48.64	32	50	1175	20
ODI	325	288	58	7569	120	32.90	9971	75.91	3	45	530	68

Format	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	5w	10w
Test	168	150	7805	3445	92	5/28	8/169	37.44	2.64	84.8	3	0
ODI	325	207	8883	6761	195	4/33	4/33	34.67	4.56	45.5	0	0

Graeme Smith

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith was thrown in at the deep end and had to learn on the job. He was identified as a potential leader early in his career, and when he was made captain of South Africa at the tender age of 22 years old, he was his nation’s youngest-ever skipper, and worked his way up to earn the spot of the best captain in the world.

When appointed captain, Smith was still a boy in a man’s world. Admittedly, he was a very grown-up boy. But despite this, his inexperience in the job rubbed fellow international captains up the wrong way. He hadn’t been there and done that like they had. 

But what made Smith such a great leader was his ability to walk into that man’s world and take charge of it. And all the captains who despised him as an upstart had the utmost respect for him by the time he finished his career. His career success has earned him a spot on the list of best captain in the world for cricket.

Format	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s
Test	117	205	13	9265	277	48.25	15525	59.67	27	38	1165	24
ODI	197	194	10	6989	141	37.98	8648	80.81	10	47	788	44
T20I	33	33	2	982	89	31.67	770	127.53	0	5	123	26

Format	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	5w	10w
Test	117	37	1418	885	8	2/145	2/145	110.62	3.74	177.2	0	0
ODI	197	43	1026	951	18	3/30	3/30	52.83	5.56	57.0	0	0
T20I	33	3	24	57	0	–	–	–	14.25	–	0	0

Read More: Who is the King of Cricket

Honorable Mention: Clive Lyod

For an impressive 11-year tenure from 1974 to 1985, Clive Lloyd led the West Indies, captaining the team in 74 Test matches and securing victories in 48 of them.

Amidst managing significant egos within the team, Lloyd’s larger-than-life personality played a crucial role in uniting players from diverse islands. His leadership turned the West Indies into the most formidable side globally, with their performances doing the talking on the pitch.

Lloyd’s captaincy reached its pinnacle with consecutive ICC Cricket World Cup triumphs in 1975 and 1979. In the 1975 final, he played a pivotal role with a match-winning score of 102. In 1979, despite a more subdued personal performance, scoring just 13 runs, Lloyd led his team to a convincing 92-run victory over England in the World Cup final. His respectable career earns him the honourable mention of best captain in the world.

Format	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100s	50s	6s
Test	110	175	14	7515	242	46.67	–	–	19	39	70
ODI	87	69	19	1977	102	39.54	2434	81.22	1	11	–

Format	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	5w	10w
Test	110	45	1716	622	10	2/13	2/22	62.20	2.17	171.6	0	0
ODI	87	10	358	210	8	2/4	2/4	26.25	3.51	44.7	0	0

Conclusion

Cricket has produced the finest leaders in the sport – many of whom have gone on to become prominent figures in society. The contributions of cricket captains for their team and country had led to immense personal and professional sacrifices they’ve put up in their captaincy years and their numbers cannot be underscored on how important it was for the history of their captaincy. Who is your favorite captain that deserves a spot on our list for best captain in the world? Let us know!

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