Cricket in Numbers – Which IPL Teams Have Had the Most Captains in History?
In the IPL, the Punjab Kings have been the team with a total of 17 captains so far in the tournament’s history. At the second spot, Delhi Capitals is the team with 14 captains so far, while Sunrisers Hyderabad is at the third spot with 11 captains. The Gujarat Titans have appointed just 3 captains so far.
The history of the Indian Premier League has seen some of the toughest matches, breathtaking run-chases, and incredible moments of the game. Besides this, fans have seen teams with multiple captains over the tournament’s 18 seasons. The surprising thing is that there have been teams that haven’t even given a captain a proper 2 years of tenure to test their leadership skills. Below is the list of the top 3 IPL teams with the most number of captains used in the IPL so far.
Punjab Kings – 17 Captains
The first name in the list of the IPL teams with the most number of captains is Punjab Kings, who have used 17 captains in the 18 seasons of the tournament so far. Starting with Yuvraj Singh from 2008-09, the team then appointed Kumar Sangakkara, Adam Gilchrist, David Hussey, and others for the upcoming season.
| Captain | Time Period |
|---|---|
| Adam Gilchrist | 2011-2013 |
| Yuvraj Singh | 2008-2009 |
| George Bailey | 2014-2015 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 2018-2019 |
| KL Rahul | 2020-2021 |
| Mayank Agarwal | 2021-2022 |
| Glenn Maxwell | 2017 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 2022-2024 |
| David Hussey | 2012-2013 |
| Sam Curran | 2023-2024 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 2010 |
| Murali Vijay | 2016 |
| David Miller | 2016 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 2010 |
| Virender Sehwag | 2015 |
| Jitesh Sharma | 2024 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 2025-Present |
Besides this, the team even appointed George Bailey in 2014-15, who took the team to the Finals of the tournament. Apart from him, players like Sam Curran, David Miller, Jitesh Sharma, and Shikhar Dhawan were also appointed as captains during the later part of the tournament.
Delhi Capitals – 14 Captains
Another team waiting for its 1st IPL Title, Delhi Capitals, is second on the list of teams that have appointed the most captains in the tournament. Starting the tournament with Virender Sehwag, the team then went on to appoint other captains like David Warner, Gautam Gambhir, Mahela Jayawardene, and others.
| Captain | Time Period |
|---|---|
| Virender Sehwag | 2008-2012 |
| Rishabh Pant | 2021-2024 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 2018-2020 |
| Gautam Gambhir | 2009-2018 |
| Zaheer Khan | 2016-2017 |
| JP Duminy | 2015-2016 |
| David Warner | 2013-2023 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 2012-2013 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 2010-2014 |
| Karun Nair | 2017 |
| Kevin Pietersen | 2014 |
| James Hopes | 2011 |
| Axar Patel | 2025-Present |
Coming to the latter part of the IPL, the Delhi Capitals management went with the other options like Zaheer Khan, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer. For the latest season of the IPL, Axar Patel handled the captaincy responsibility as the team finished in 5th position in the points table.
Sunrisers Hyderabad – 11 Captains
Winners of the IPL 2016 and the runners-up of the IPL 2018 and 2024, Sunrisers Hyderabad are in third position on the list of IPL teams that have had the most number of IPL Captains. The team made its debut in 2013, and they started with Kumar Sangakkara. For the next few years, they appointed Cameron White, Shikhar Dhawan, and Darren Sammy as the leaders of the ship.
| Captain | Time Period |
|---|---|
| Kumar Sangakkara | 2013 |
| Cameron White | 2013 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 2013-2014 |
| Darren Sammy | 2014 |
| David Warner | 2015-2021 |
| Kane Williamson | 2018-2022 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 2019-2023 |
| Manish Pandey | 2021 |
| Aiden Markram | 2023 |
| Pat Cummins | 2024 |
| Ishan Kishan | 2026 |
The most successful years for the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise came under the leadership of David Warner and Kane Williamson. Besides this, the leadership of Pat Cummins helped the team to play fearlessly, and hence the Orange Army came up as the Runners-up of the IPL 2024.
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