Cricketers strive to represent their nation in an ICC event. It is a dream of billions to play for their country in an ICC event. Playing in an ICC event is an achievement; leading your side in an ICC event is an even bigger one. Only those players who possess true leadership qualities can lead their team in such an important tournament as an ICC event. Every captain has brought something new to his squad but directing your side in an ICC event is something that a cricketer will remember for his life. Here is the list of ten such cricketers who have led their side in an ICC event.
1. MS Dhoni
Whenever we talk about ICC events, this name comes to our mind. The only player to have won all three ICC Championships as a captain. MS Dhoni has an impeccable record as a Captain. He has led India to win in the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. He was also the man of the match in the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup for his terrific innings of 91*.
2. Kane Williamson
Williamson has led the New Zealand team in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and the ICC Test Championship. He is the only kiwi captain to have won an ICC Championship. He achieved this feat in the recently happened ICC Test Championship finals against India. Williamson took New Zealand to the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. However, New Zealand lost the finals against England over the boundary count rule, but Williamson won the hearts of a billion people. He was also the player of the tournament in the World Cup.
3. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli took over the Indian team captaincy from MS Dhoni. His first experience as a Captain in an ICC event came in the 2017 Champions Trophy, where the Indian team led by him reached the finals. However, India lost to Pakistan in the finals. Kohli also led India to the Semi-Finals of the 2019 World Cup and finals of the ICC World Test Championship but lost to New Zealand in both encounters.
4. Ricky Ponting
The Captain of the Golden Era of Australian cricket, Ricky Ponting, is one of those captains who have not only won the ICC Cricket World Cup but have also defended it. Ricky Ponting won the 2003 Cricket World Cup and defended it successfully in 2007. Ponting was also the Man of the Match in the 2003 World Cup finals, where he scored a staggering 140* against India. He is considered one of the greatest captains in the game.
5. Michael Clarke
Clarke took over the captaincy from Ponting, and like the former, the latter also succeeded in winning an ICC event as a captain. Michael Clarke led Australia in the 2015 edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup. Australia won the tournament, beating New Zealand in the finals who reached the finals of an ICC event for the first time.
6. Eoin Morgan
The Irish-English cricketer is the only captain for England who won the World Cup. Eoin Morgan was the captain of the England Cricket team in the 2019 Cricket World Cup. England won the world cup defeating New Zealand in the finals over the boundary count rule after the super over was also tied. England won their only World Cup under Eoin Morgan, making him one of the most decorated captains of England.
7. Lasith Malinga
One of the greatest bowlers in the world of cricket, Malinga has also impressed everyone with his captaincy over the years. He took Sri Lanka to the finals of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2014 and won the finals against India. Lasith Malinga took over the captaincy from Kumar Sangakkara, who also had an impressive record as a captain of the Sri Lanka Cricket team.
8. Sarfaraz Ahmed
Pakistan's Wicket-Keeper, batsman impressed everyone with his captaincy in the 2017 Champions Trophy. Pakistan won the Champions Trophy in 2017 bybeating their arch-rivals India in the finals. Sarfaraz also led Pakistan in their 2019 World Cup campaign. However, the World Cup was not a successful campaign of Sarfaraz as a captain. The team didn't qualify for the Semi-Finals, and they finished fifth on the points table.
9. Kapil Dev
One of the greatest all-rounders India has ever produced, Kapil Dev showed authentic leadership skills in the 1983 ICC Prudential World Cup. Kapil Dev took India to the finals from nowhere and won the tournament for the first time for India. In one of the matches against Zimbabwe in that tournament when India was struggling on 17/5, he took the world by a storm by scoring 175* and taking India out from the jaws of defeat. In the finals, India defeated the defending champions West Indies and won the World Cup for the first time.
10. Darren Sammy
The Caribbean captain has led his team to glory in two of the ICC events. He led them to victory in the 2012 edition of the T20 world cup and the 2016 edition of the T20 world cup. He is one of the most successful captains of the West Indies and has shown genuine leadership skills over the years. West Indies defeated Sri Lanka in the 2012 finals and England in the 2016 finals.
