Captains who have appeared in most IPL finals
Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to reach the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) final. The Shreyas Iyer-led side successfully chased down 160 after bowling SRH out in Qualifier 1. With this, Shreyas became the first-ever player to lead multiple sides to IPL finals. Here are the captains who have appeared in most IPL finals.
MS Dhoni: 10 finals
Mahendra Singh Dhoni holds the record for playing the most IPL finals as captain. Under him, Chennai Super Kings won five trophies, in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023. The Yellow Army were the runners-up of the inaugural season in 2008, also led by Dhoni. They also played the IPL final in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2019.
Rohit Sharma: 5 finals
Mumbai Indians have a terrific record in the IPL finals. They first reached the summit clash in 2010 under Sachin Tendulkar, when CSK defeated them. MI then won each of their five finals. They claimed the silverware in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020, with each of those coming under Rohit Sharma. Rohit remains the only other captain to have played five-plus finals.
Gautam Gambhir: 2
KKR's investment in a fierce captain like Gautam Gambhir reaped dividends as they claimed their maiden IPL title in 2012. The Knight Riders finished second despite having a poor start. KKR won their second IPL title in 2014, with Gambhir once again leading them from the front. Like in 2012, KKR had a poor start, having lost five of their first seven games.
Hardik Pandya: 2 finals
Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants were the two newly added franchises in 2022. The Titans, led by Hardik Pandya, went on to win the title on their first attempt. They beat Rajasthan Royals in the 2022 final. Hardik also led GT to the finals in 2023, where CSK defeated them in an emphatic manner.
