3 min readUpdated: Apr 28, 2026 02:32 PM IST
Punjab Kings’ penultimate league-stage match of the IPL 2026 season could potentially be Shreyas Iyer’s milestone 100th match as a captain in the tournament. Touted as a leadership prospect since his early days in the league in 2014, Iyer has gradually emerged as a strong leader of men in the IPL, with an impressive profile across three different franchises.
While the league across its 19 editions have seen flair and tactics of various IPL captains, the 31-year-old Iyer has held his own across different teams over the last six years. While MS Dhoni remains as the most successful captain in IPL history, in terms of wins (136) and win percentage (58.36, min. 100 matches) and shares a joint-title winning record with Rohit Sharma (five), Iyer is not far behind the top dogs.
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Interestingly, Iyer is the only captain to lead three different franchises into the IPL final. Having taken up captaincy for the first time in 2018, Iyer led the Delhi Capitals to their first-ever final in IPL 2020 where they finished runners-up behind Mumbai Indians. The Mumbaikar soon powered Kolkata Knight Riders to their first title in a decade in 2024, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final before moving across to the Punjab Kings in the subsequent season. Iyer’s magic touch continued as he then steered PBKS to their first final in 12 years while also emerging as the team’s strongest batter. Iyer’s men fell agonisingly short in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
However, Punjab under Iyer have returned with a strong start to the IPL 2026, remaining unbeaten after seven matches. Overall, Iyer has already moved up to the fourth spot in terms of wins (66) and appearances as skipper (94) in the IPL. Iyer’s winning percentage – an impressive 60.43 – is the highest among all captains who have led in at least 50 matches in the IPL.
Most wins as IPL captains
| Player | Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | W/L | % |
| MS Dhoni (CSK/RPS) | 2008-2025 | 235 | 136 | 97 | 0 | 2 | 1.4 | 58.36 |
| Rohit Sharma (MI) | 2013-2023 | 158 | 87 | 67 | 4 | 0 | 1.29 | 56.32 |
| Gautam Gambhir (DC/KKR) | 2009-2018 | 129 | 71 | 57 | 1 | 0 | 1.24 | 55.42 |
| Virat Kohli (RCB) | 2011-2023 | 143 | 66 | 70 | 3 | 4 | 0.94 | 48.56 |
| Shreyas Iyer (DC/KKR/PBKS) | 2018-2026 | 94 | 54 | 35 | 2 | 3 | 1.54 | 60.43 |
| David Warner (DC/SRH) | 2013-2023 | 83 | 40 | 41 | 2 | 0 | 0.97 | 49.39 |
| Hardik Pandya (GT/MI) | 2022-2026 | 66 | 37 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 1.27 | 56.06 |
| Adam Gilchrist (DCH/KXIP) | 2008-2013 | 74 | 35 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0.89 | 47.29 |
| Sanju Samson (RR) | 2021-2025 | 67 | 33 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 1.03 | 50.75 |
| Rishabh Pant (DC/LSG) | 2021-2026 | 65 | 31 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0.96 | 49.23 |
| KL Rahul (KXIP/LSG/PBKS) | 2020-2024 | 64 | 31 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 50 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (MI) | 2008-2011 | 51 | 30 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 1.42 | 58.82 |
| Shane Warne (RR) | 2008-2011 | 55 | 30 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1.25 | 55.45 |
| Virender Sehwag (DC/KXIP) | 2008-2015 | 53 | 28 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1.16 | 53.77 |
