Strongest all-time IPL XI featuring only captains 

#8 Harbhajan Singh (Mumbai Indians)

Captaincy Record: Matches - 20, Won – 10, Win percentage - 50.00

Harbhajan Singh

It might be surprising for many to see Harbhajan Singh in the list of all-time IPL captains XI. But one should not forget that the off-spinner led the Mumbai Indians to their first ever Champions League title in 2011.

Defending a modest total of 139 in the CLT20 final against RCB, Harbhajan produced excellent bowling figures of 3 wickets for 20 runs and picking up two important catches. He was rightly adjudged Man of the Match in the final.

Harbhajan was never seen as a contender for the captaincy in the National side. IPL provided yet another opportunity for him to step into the shoes of captaincy. His ability to shuffle bowling strategically and making key changes in the order helped in defending a modest total against a formidable batting order of RCB.

As a bowler, Harbhajan has picked up 134 wickets from the 149 matches in IPL with an economy of 7.03. That is an incredible economy rate to have for someone who has played in all the 10 editions of IPL. He is also handy with the bat lower down the order and can help in adding depth to this team.

Harbhajan was in an IPL team which had the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Rohit Sharma. As usual, the chances for the captaincy in such a team will always be dominated by the batsmen.

It could be worth pondering if Harbhajan was in a different team he could have had a longer stint at captaincy and could have walked the path of Gautam Gambhir. Maybe Kings XI would have been perfect for Harbhajan and the team's brand value.