Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. Captainship is not only about leadership and lifting trophies, but it is all about making the team the best and helping an individual to bring the best in it. Some cricketers are so memorable that we can still recognize them easily for what they have done for their country.
1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2007-2017)
The most well-known captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni also known as MS Dhoni. He was the Indian Captain for about ten years and in Test cricket from 2008 to 2014. Currently captain in IPL for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).He, as a captain, has won every trophy in the world of cricket. His ability to trust his intuition and make unorthodox decisions has made him the captain. His ability to remain calm in pressure situations with the bat and as a captain has earned him the tag of ‘Captain Cool. Under MSD captaincy, India was ranked no.1 in ICC Test rankings in 2009-10. Under his captaincy, CSK won IPL 3 times, and India also won Champions Trophy in 2013.
2. Steve Waugh(1997-2004)
Steve Waugh, regarded as cricket’s most composed captain, led Australia from 1997 to 2002. In 1999, he guided the Australian cricket team to victory in the World Cup.Under his captaincy, Australia won back-to-back five matches to win the tournament.Steve Waugh, due to his unmatchable achievements regarded as the most successful captain in cricket history.
3. Ricky Ponting(2002-2011)
Ricky Ponting was an Australian cricket captain who led to a world-record 230 One-Day International victories. He is most known for winning back-to-back World Cups in 2003 and 2007. He is one of the best cricketers of all time and led the team from 2002 to 2012. The popularity of Ponting as a leader with an aggressive attitude is second to none. He will be forever remembering as a legendary cricketer who gave everything he had for his team.
4. Clive Lloyd(1974-1985)
Clive Lloyd was the captain of the West Indies squad that dominated cricket worldwide in the late 1970s and early 1980s.He was an ICC match referee from 2001 to 2006. In 2009, Lloyd was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He was knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to cricket.To put that in context, the bat he used was 193cm. He was renowned for using a gigantic heavy bat - weighed 3 pounds, 4 ounces.
5. Graeme Smith(2003-2014)
Graeme Craig Smith is a South African cricket commentator and former cricketer who played for South Africa in all formats. In 2003, he was appointed captain of the national team.He is a left-handed batsman and sporadic off-break bowler.South Africa contested 286 matches under his guidance, winning 163 of them.Smith is, undoubtedly, one of the most prolific cricket captains in the world in terms of wins. Smith holds the 5th spot in our list of the top 10 most successful captains in cricket history.
6. Hansie Cronje(1994-2000)
Hansie Cronje was a South African international cricketer and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s. He was a right-handed batsman and all-rounder, as captain Cronje led his team to victory in 27 test matches and 99 one-day internationals. He had been disqualified from cricket for life due to match-fixing scandals, but he was named the 11th best South African two years after his death in a plane crash in 2002.
7. Sourav Ganguly (2000–2005)
Sourav Ganguly, the current President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. ‘Dada’, as he is fondly called by his fans and close ones, is considered a leader who changed the way Indian cricket is played. India started winning overseas again after the 1970s and 1980s under Ganguly's captaincy and created a base for a team that won the world cup in 2011. Sourav Ganguly returned as a captain of KKR in 2010. In 2011, he was signed by the Pune Warriors India. He played for them for two seasons and then took retirement from the IPL. He announced his retirement from IPL on 29 October, 2012.
8. Imran Khan(1982-1988)
The Ex-president of Pakistan, Imran Khan, was one of the best blowers in the world and had performed excellently in matches. He was Pakistan cricket captain from 1982 to 1992.Khan played 48 Test matches, of which 14 were won by Pakistan, eight lost, and the remaining 26 were drawn.
9. Virat Kohli(2017-2021)
Virat Kohli is an Indian international cricketer and former captain of the Indian national cricket team. He is also known as the king of cricket.As MS Dhoni declared retirement halfway through the 2014 Australian series, Virat. Kohli was forced to step in as Test captain. As captain, he set a world record of seven double centuries.
10. Arjuna Ranatunga(1988-1999)
Former Minister of Ports & Shipping of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.When one talks about Sri Lankan cricket, one name anyone cannot miss is Arjuna Ranatunga. His brilliant leadership skills and vision for Sri Lankan cricket completely changed the fortunes of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He ruled the cricket team from 1988 to 1999.
