Top 3 ODI Captains of the Decade

Captaining a team in any sport has long been considered a symbol of immense pride and a reward for years of toil on the pitch. No other sport places as much emphasis on the role of a captain as Cricket and the amount of responsibility that comes with taking that mantle in the sport is unmatched.

The captain of any national cricket team is required to be someone with quick thinking, a deep understanding of the game, and the ability to deal with pressure at all times - not an easy one for sure!

So many legendary names have crumbled under the pressure of leading their team while a select few have gone on to become national heroes by winning big tournaments.

Here, we take a look at the three most popular and successful ODI captains of this decade:

#3 Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke with 2015 World cup trophy

Clarke arguably had the toughest job out of everyone in this list as he took over from the phenomenal Ricky Ponting, whose side was so dominant that even the World Cup felt one-sided at times. In 2012, when Clarke became the skipper, Australia were going through a lean patch and the results were far below their standard.

Perhaps for the first time in the 21st century, the Australian lineup did not induce fear among opponents and they had slowly started losing their invincible aura at home. Clarke sparked the Aussie revival while himself struggling with numerous back injuries and eventually led them to World Cup glory in 2015, beating neighbours New Zealand in front of a record crowd at the MCG. He announced his retirement from the game at the end of the tournament, drawing the curtain on a glorious career.

Matches - 59, Wins- 38, Lost - 18, Win percentage - 67.85

#2 MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni captained 130 matches this decade with 71 victories, notching up an impressive win percentage of 58.3, before stepping down from the job in 2017. Made captain of the team after the disastrous 2007 World Cup in the Carribean, he immediately bought smiles to the saddened faces by winning the inaugural T-20 World Cup. Following the win, he was soon rewarded with the ODI captaincy as well.

Dhoni’s unforgettable helicopter shot, that brought the World Cup back to Indian shores after 28 years, was the highlight of this decade.

As a captain, Dhoni endured a tough 2012 with critics calling for his removal, but the Indian team bounced back in 2013 by winning the Champions Trophy in England. Throughout his captaincy stint, India performed exceptionally in multi-nation tournaments such as the Asia Cup, the World Cup, and the Champions Trophy.

Matches - 130, Wins- 71, Lost - 50, Win percentage - 58.33

#1 Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan

After a series of below-par performances, Alastair Cook resigned from his job as the England captain and Eoin Morgan was announced as his successor. His appointment was panned by the critics, largely because of his nationality and his inconsistent record as a middle-order batsman. His position as national captain worsened in 2015 as England were ousted from the World Cup following a humiliating defeat to Bangladesh in the group stage.

Fortunately for Morgan, he had the full backing of the England Cricket Board and he repaid the faith by initiating a major revamp that saw many senior players being shown the door. The new-look English side, full of young talents, started playing a brand of cricket that became the envy of teams around the world. Morgan’s aggressive captaincy and his side’s utter domination with the bat saw them become the number one side in the world.

The critics were silenced when he lifted the 2019 World Cup trophy at Lord’s after a hard-fought (lucky, as per a few) win over New Zealand in the finals.

Matches - 111, Wins- 68, Lost - 35, Win percentage - 65.71