3 ODI captains who have led their side for 200 or more matches

Image result for dhoni toss photo india vs afghanistan

The dream of many fans not only from India but fans from all over the world came true when MS Dhoni returned to his old role, filling in for Rohit Sharma as the captain of the Indian team for their dead-rubber match against Afghanistan. This is also his 200 match as ODI captain, and fittingly he is the only Indian captain to lead India for 200 or more times.

Leading a team itself is a huge deal, but captaining a side for 200 or more matches is mind-blowing. The game has seen some great individual players, who have failed to become good captains. This suggests that captaincy itself is an art that only a few people have managed to master. A captain is someone who needs to take the centre-stage when the team fails and appreciate his team-mates when the team succeeds.

Here are 3 captains who have remained captain of their side for 200 or more ODIs.


#3 MS Dhoni* (200 Matches)

Image result for dhoni captaining

MS Dhoni's farewell from limited overs captaincy came as a heartbreak to many fans all over the world. Dhoni was one match short of this milestone when he gave up his role as captain. While he continued to captain in IPL with CSK, it was not same as him leading the Indian team.

Fans got what they were waiting for these 2 years as Dhoni made a comeback to his old role as captain for the Asia Cup 2018 Super Four clash against Afghanistan. With captain Rohit Sharma and vice-captain Shikhar Dhawan rested, Dhoni returned as skipper for just one match.

Dhoni is arguably one of the best-limited overs captain that India has ever had. India has won 110 matches under Dhoni's captaincy. India has achieved everything that limited overs cricket could offer while playing under Dhoni. The cherry on top was when Dhoni took India to its second World Cup win in 2011, 28 years after their maiden triumph.

#2 Stephen Fleming (218 Matches)

Chappell-Hadlee Trophy Captains Press Conference
Stephen Fleming

The Southpaw from Christchurch, New Zealand was at the helm for more matches than any other captain in New Zealand's history and is also second in overall. While he has not tasted as much success as the other two in this list he will go down as one of the best captains and batsmen that New Zealand has ever had.

New Zealand was struggling and were not the powerhouses that they are today. Fleming made sure they New Zealand were a better team after his tenure as captain. He has a win percentage of 48.04 in the 218 matches that he has captained. His captaincy saw the rise of future stars like Shane Bond and Brendon McCullum to name a few.

#1 Ricky Ponting (230 Matches)

Image result for ricky ponting

Ricky Ponting is probably the best captain that world cricket has ever seen and the numbers back him up. Under Ponting, Australia dominated every opponent that was put in front of them and they were considered as the invincibles for the better part of his tenure.

His numbers as captain are simply stunning and by far the best compared with any other player. Australia had won 165 matches out of the 230 matches that he has captained in ODIs with a win percentage of 76.14.

A captain is considered a great one if they can win at least a World Cup or Champions Trophy but Ponting has two won back-to-back World Cups and Champions Trophy as skipper.

Check RCB Squad 2024 Details. Follow Sportskeeda for IPL 2024 Live Score, Schedule, Points Table

Quick Links

Edited by Srihari