Cricket, or the “Gentleman’s Game,” has die-hard fans throughout the globe, most of which love to indulge in more immersive cricket-related activities.
For instance, tons of fans love indulging in fantasy cricket games, primarily because it offers an opportunity to test their cricket knowledge and win exciting rewards.
Individuals wondering how to play fantasy cricket need to install a fantasy cricket app first, create teams comprising players, and predict the outcome of different aspects of a real-life match.
Speaking of real-life matches, fans love watching their favorite teams play matches against opponents. Out of all the players in each team, the main focus remains on the captain since they are the one who makes calls throughout the game. In this article, we will look at some of the greatest cricket captains of all time. Let us begin:
- Mahendra Singh Dhoni – India
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is deemed the most successful captain of all time by millions of fans. Being a right-handed batsman and a wicketkeeper, there have been many matches when “Captain Cool” has gotten his team out of sticky situations. Besides having the title of the best wicketkeeper globally, MSD is also known for being a top-tier finisher.
Dhoni has scored over 10,000 runs in ODIs, and under his leadership, the Indian Cricket team won the 2011 ICC World Cup. Besides this, he is also deemed the most successful Indian Test Captain. Even though the legendary player has retired from international cricket, he will be playing in the upcoming IPL edition as the skipper of the Chennai Super Kings.
- Ricky Ponting – Australia
Ricky Ponting, the right-handed Australian captain, is hailed as one of the greatest captains of all time thanks to his highly successful career as a skipper. The captain of the land down under’s international cricket team has won over 100 test matches, a record only Ponting holds. He created another world record by scoring a double ton in his 100th test match.
The Australian skipper has scored a total of 12000 test runs, and 10000 ODI runs. Besides this, he has played the most one-day international matches globally. His experience, paired with his top-class fielding and game sense, made him one of the most feared players globally. Even though he retired in 2012, he is still hailed as one of the most successful cricket captains across all formats of the sport.
- Graeme Smith – South Africa
Graeme Smith led the South African cricket team for many years as a captain. One of the most notable feats he achieved is becoming the team’s captain after playing only 8 test matches. The left-handed batsman is known in the cricket world as an aggressive player who starts off matches aggressively using his bat.
The Proteas skipper has many feathers under his cap as a captain, including prestigious wins like the test series in Australia in 2008-2009 as well as in 2012-13. Graeme Smith also holds the record for serving as captain in the maximum number of ODI matches. The South African legend retired from international cricket in 2014.
- Arjuna Ranatunga – Sri Lanka
Arjun Ranatunga brought glory to the Sri Lankan team many times in his career as a captain. In his first-ever test match, Ranatunga scored a half-century and established himself as a trustworthy player. He paved the way for Sri Lanka to become the best-ever one-day cricket team in three years. Under his leadership, Sri Lanka won a World Cup and six other multilateral cricket events, which solidified his brilliance as a captain.
Another prominent accolade for Arjuna Ranatunga came in the form of his inclusion in Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year, all thanks to his formidable displays of batting during matches. Being an all-rounder, Ranatunga has performed exceptionally on both ends, i.e., batting and bowling, on many occasions. He led the Sri Lankan cricket team to their first-ever World Cup victory in 1996.
- Stephen Fleming – New Zealand
Stephen Fleming is another top-tier captain who was popular for his astute tactical abilities. He is the second most-capped skipper with a total of 111 appearances. Fleming debuted in 1994 and retired in 2008. Besides his batting skills, he was also known for being a decent right-arm medium pacer. New Zealand’s ex-skipper made his debut against India and played his final match against the Indian cricket team.
Popular for being the most successful New Zealand skipper, the top-tier batsman has led his side to 28 wins. He has led his team to numerous test series victories against formidable opponents like India, England, Bangladesh, and many other teams.
- Micheal Vaughan – England
In terms of longevity and success, England’s Michael Vaughan is one of the greatest captains globally. He became the first-ever English captain to win an Ashes Series since Mike Gatting, who clinched the prestigious title in 1986-87.
His record of 26 wins in 51 test matches makes him stand tall among all other England captains. In terms of ODIs, he has led his side to 32 wins in 60 matches. He was feared by his opponents due to his calm yet ruthless captaincy. In June 2009, he ended his successful career by announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket.
Captaincy is not only about giving the right calls during games but also about how well the captain maintains their composure during unfavorable situations. All of the captains mentioned above have achieved glory by performing equally well in all spheres, which is why they are deemed the greatest captains of all time.