Leadership plays an important role in the success of a team in any sport, including cricket, and getting to lead their country is arguably the most important achievement in a cricketer’s career. Ever since the first game of cricket back in the 19th century, we have witnessed some of the finest masterminds of the game, who, through their class and genius, captained their national teams to great heights. Even though the position is filled with pressure and responsibility, some players have fulfilled these duties with flying colors and have taken their teams to the next level. From MS Dhoni to Allan Border, here’s the list of players with the most matches played as captain.

Also Read: Most Test wickets as captain

Most matches played as captain

5# Allan Border | 271 Matches

Allan Border is regarded as one of the greatest Australian captains and batters of all time. He too scored more than 15,000 runs in an illustrious career spanning over 15 years. Border Played 271 matches while leading the Australian team. 

Coming in at a time when Australian cricket was enduring a tough phase after Kim Hughes' resignation as skipper in 1984/85, Border led his team to glory in the 1987 World Cup, followed by Ashes success. Allan Border also holds the record for leading a side in the most consecutive Test matches (93) between December 1984 and March 1994. 

Border also holds a record of being the only player in the history of the game to score 150 runs in each innings of a Test match, when he achieved the feat in the drawn third Test of the Australia tour of Pakistan 1979/80.

4# Graeme Smith | 286 Matches

Former South African opener Graeme Smith became the Proteas’ youngest-ever captain when he was given the role at the age of 22, with an experience of just eight Test matches. Smith played 289 matches as a captain and won 163 out of them.

Under his leadership, South Africa was recognized as one of the best touring teams. Smith holds the record of being the only captain to play over 100 Test matches and register the highest number of wins in Test matches as a captain with 53 victories.

The major highlights of Smith's glittering career are the two double centuries that he smashed in back-to-back Tests against England at Edgbaston and Lord’s during the South Africa Tour of England in 2003. His glory as captain came when he led the South Africa cricket team in 2008-2009 in Australia and added glitter to his name when they again won in the 2012-20 tour.

Also Read: Indian Head Coach Record since 2000

3# Stephen Fleming | 303 Matches

Stephen Fleming, the successful New Zealand captain, predominantly played his cricket in the pre-T20 era, especially when it comes to the international stage. Fleming led his team to their only ICC trophy at the Knockout Trophy in 2000. He also captained New Zealand to victory in their first-ever T20 international against Australia. 

Fleming played 303 matches when he captained New Zealand including 80 Test matches, 218 ODIs, and 5 T20Is, a New Zealand record and the third highest ever. Out of 303 matches, he managed to win 128 matches, which is a whopping 42.24 percent.

Fleming also led from the front during his captaincy stint and scored over 5196 runs as captain in Test cricket while as ODI skipper, Fleming scored 6295 runs. 

2# Ricky Ponting | 324 Matches

Former Australian cricket team captain Ricky Ponting is one of the most uncompromising cricket players in the world. He played 324 matches as a captain, winning 220 matches, which is a whopping 67.9 percent. Ponting led Australia to two consecutive 50-over World Cup triumphs in 2003 and 2007, in addition to twin Champions Trophy wins in 2006 and 2009. 

Known for his aggression on the field, Ponting is the leading scorer in ODIs and Tests for Australia, scoring 10,000+ runs in each discipline. Moreover, he is the only player to win more than 100 Test matches.

After Steve Waugh, Ponting was clear on working and taking forward Steve's legacy, which was evident in his success rate and dominance. His wittiness and leadership skills were visible in both Test and ODI cricket.

Also Read: Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats

1# MS Dhoni | 332 Matches

MS Dhoni who is fondly called as captain cool by his fans and followers had a stellar record of most matches played as captain. Dhoni had a long span of career around 9 years to captain the team in all 3 formats. Even now Dhoni remains to be the only captain to win 3 different ICC events as captain. From showing his skill in pressure situations and Indian team domination in 2007/8 - 2011 WC would always be considered as great period for the Indian team. 

MS Dhoni has captained Team India in 332 international games which is the most for any player. MS Dhoni is one of the best captains in the world, with an overall win percentage of 53.61 across formats, winning 178 of the 332 matches while leading his team.

Including the 3 ICC trophies, Dhoni also has won 5 other multi-tours as captain of Team India. Interestingly, under his leadership in 2009, Team India attained the best Test cricket ranking of No. 1 for the first time in their history.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 Match 8 tonight at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

This is Koushik Biswas, with all the LIVE Updates for you from the web desk.

Five-time champions CSK commenced their IPL 2025 campaign with a dominating 4-wicket victory over arch-rivals Mumbai Indians. On the other hand, RCB salvaged a famous 7-wicket win against defending IPL champions KKR in the opening game of the season.

Read Also | 9 Facts from CSK vs RCB Clash That Might Surprise You

As two of the most iconic franchises are about to take on each other tonight at Chepauk, sit back and relax as we start the live coverage of the CSK vs RCB match for you. Keep refreshing the page for all the latest updates.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed numerous thrilling moments, and the rivalry between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) stands out as one of the most intense in the tournament's history.

CSK vs RCB matches have always been highly anticipated, with both franchises boasting passionate fanbases.

Both teams have been participating in the IPL since 2008, but in between Chennai Super Kings had to face a ban for two years. 

Also Read: 9 Facts from CSK vs RCB Clash That Might Surprise You

While CSK has won the IPL title 5 times so far, RCB has not been able to reach the finals even 5 times. However, both the teams have always been adorned with star players and this time too both sides are full of stars.

So before the start of the match let's take a look at the statistics of every result of CSK vs RCB match in IPL.

CSK vs RCB: Head-to-Head Stats

Although the rivalry between the two teams is at its peak, in terms of statistics, the Royal Challengers Bangalore seems to be far behind. So far 33 matches have been played between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore and RCB has won only 11 matches.

Chennai Super Kings have won 21 matches. Last year, both the teams faced each other twice and both won one match each. However, an important match was played between the two teams, where Bangalore defeated Chennai and made it to the playoffs.

In 2018 and 2021, Chennai defeated Bangalore in both the matches, while in 2015, both the teams faced each other thrice and Chennai whitewashed Bangalore all three times. In 2011, these two teams faced each other 4 times and Chennai won thrice, while Super Kings had to face defeat in one match.

CSK vs RCB: Last 5 Match Results

Also Read: RCB’s performance in every IPL season

Every Result of CSK vs RCB Match in IPL

The 18th season of the IPL will begin from March 22 and once again a fierce battle between bat and ball will be witnessed in this league. Everyone's eyes will be on who hits the most sixes this season, but let us tell you about which batsman has hit the most sixes in the last 17 seasons of IPL so far.

There have been many great batsmen in the IPL who have hit a lot of sixes so far. There are some batsmen who are no longer a part of this league and some are playing in it and they can go higher in this list.

Also Read: Most runs in IPL since 2018

Let's talk about the top 10 batsmen who have hit the most sixes in IPL so far, which also includes many Indians.

Most Sixes in IPL | Top 10 List

10. Suresh Raina | 203

Mr. IPL, Suresh Raina grabs the tenth position in this elite list. The southpaw has 203 sixes in 200 IPL innings. He takes around 19.91 deliveries for every six.

He is only among ten batters to hit 200+ maximums in the league. Raina has accumulated 5528 runs at an average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.73. He also has 39 fifties and a century in the league.

9. Sanju Samson | 206

The captain of Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sanju Samson is the ninth batter to find a spot in this list. He has 206 six in 163 IPL innings. On average, he hits a six every 15.43 balls in the league.

Overall, Samson has 4419 runs at an average of 30.68 and a strike rate of 138.96. He also has 25 fifties and three centuries. Samson will also step up to this list and add more to his tally in the upcoming edition.

8. Andre Russell | 209

Among the most fearsome batters in the history of the league, Andre Russell’s name is no surprise. Russell’s association with six-hitting is well known. He has amassed 209 maximums at an unbelievable 6.79 balls-per-maximum ratio.

The Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder has 2484 runs at an average of 29.22 and a strike rate of 174.92 in 105 IPL innings. He also has 11 fifties to his name.

Russell had even hit 11 sixes during 2018 in an innings against Chennai Super Kings.

7. Kieron Pollard | 223

Kieron Pollard, a powerhouse in the middle order for Mumbai Indians, comes seventh in this list with 223 sixes. The former West Indies all-rounder played several memorable knocks for the Mumbai Indians in the 189 matches that he played for them.

Pollard was known for depositing the ball back into the stands and did so quite frequently in the league. His ability to change the course of a game in a few overs has made him one of the most dangerous finishers in IPL history.

He has 3412 runs at an average of 28.67 and a strike rate of 147.32. Further, Pollard has also hit 16 fifties in the league. 

6. David Warner | 236

David Warner has hit 236 sixes in his IPL career. The former Australia batter has played a total of 184 matches in IPL, featuring for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals.

Warner has a terrific record in the league and was known for hitting big shots throughout his successful career in the league. His aggressive start at the top often sets the tone for his team's innings.

Warner has scored 6565 runs at an average of 40.52 and a strike rate of 139.77 in 184 innings. He also has 62 boundaries and four maximums. 

However, Warner went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega-auction.

5. AB de Villiers | 251

AB de Villiers finished his IPL career with 251 sixes and he is the fifth highest six-hitter in the T20 league. de Villiers retired from the T20 league after IPL 2021. He had a long stint with RCB.

AB started his IPL career with Delhi Capitals (then known as Delhi Daredevils). He joined RCB in the IPL 2011 mega-auction and was retained by them in 2014 and 2018. de Villiers never captained RCB.

Overall, the Proteas batter has 5162 runs at an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 151.68. Further, he also has 40 fifties and three centuries.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Which player has lost the most games in IPL history?

4. MS Dhoni | 252

MS Dhoni sits at the fourth spot in the list of batsmen with most sixes in IPL. The former Indian skipper has 252 sixes of 264 matches in this cash rich league.

Dhoni started his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings. He also played for Rising Pune Supergiant in IPL 2016 and 2017.

Overall, Dhoni has 5243 runs at an average of 39.12 and a 137.53 strike rate. Further, he also has 24 fifties in the league.

Dhoni will make his on-field return in IPL 2025. CSK retained Dhoni in the uncapped category for Rs 4 crore. He will continue to play under Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Dhoni captained CSK to five IPL title wins before stepping down.

3. Virat Kohli | 272

Rohit Sharma is followed by Virat Kohli. The IPL legend sits at the third spot with 272 sixes in 252 matches. One of Virat and Rohit can become the first Indian to hit 300 sixes in IPL.

Virat also holds the record for playing for the same franchise, RCB, in every IPL season and while doing so, he has scored more than 8000 runs at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 131.97. Further, he also has 55 boundaries and eight maximums. He is also the leading run-scorer in the league

Kohli started his career as a rookie and is now the biggest star in the T20 league. He will play under Rajat Patidar's captaincy in RCB for IPL 2025.

2. Rohit Sharma | 280

Indian team captain Rohit Sharma sits at the second spot in this list. The right-handed batsman has cleared the ropes 280 times in 257 matches. Rohit has been a regular in IPL since the league's inception.

Rohit started his IPL career with Deccan Chargers. He joined Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2011 mega-auction and has been with them since then.

Rohit captained MI to 5 IPL title wins. He now plays under Hardik Pandya's captaincy.

Rohit has also been a prolific run-scorer, with 6628 runs at an average of 29.72 and a strike rate of 131.14, including 43 half-centuries and two centuries. 

1. Chris Gayle | 357

Chris Gayle tops the list of batsmen with most sixes in IPL history. The left-handed batsman finished his IPL career with 357 big hits at a sixes-per-match ratio of 2.53 in the league. No other batsman has managed to hit more than 300 sixes in this T20 league.

Gayle started his IPL career with Kolkata Knight Riders. After going unsold in the IPL 2011 mega-auction, Gayle joined RCB as a replacement player and had a memorable stint with them. He also played for Punjab Kings from IPL 2018 to 2021.

Overall, Gayle has scored 4965 runs at an average of 39.72 and a strike rate of 148.96, including 31 fifties and six centuries in IPL. 

Since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League has gone to achieve unprecedented success in global cricket scenario. Over its illustrious journey, the tournament has also accommodated several stars and match-winners.

The league is currently amid its eighteen edition and is all set to kick off on March 22. The 10 teams will lock horns against each other in a bid to clinch the title. 

Also Read: IPL 2025: Captains of every franchise

So, before the start of the season let's take a look at the IPL facts that which player has lost the most games in IPL history.

IPL Facts | Most defeats for a player in IPL

1. Virat Kohli 

Virat Kohli has played 252 matches from 2008-24, in which he has scored 8004 runs at a strike rate of 132.0 and an average of 38.7. 

Even though Virat is the highest run scorer in IPL history, there is also a statistic that he is also the cricketer who has lost the most matches in IPL.

2. Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik's name comes second in the list of players who lost the most matches in IPL. Karthik has scored 4842 runs at a strike rate of 135.4. He played for many IPL teams and finally retired while being a part of RCB.

3. Rohit Sharma 

The most successful skipper of the tournament– Rohit Sharma's name comes third in the list of players who have lost the most matches in IPL. He has played 257 matches in IPL, in which he has faced defeat in 119 matches. During this period, his bat has scored 6628 runs at a strike rate of 131.14.

Before shifting his base to the Mumbai franchise, Rohit was a part of the now-defunct Deccan Chargers side.

Also Read: Most Wickets in IPL history

4. MS Dhoni 

While MS Dhoni holds the record for playing the most matches in IPL, he is fourth in the list of players who have lost the most matches in IPL. Mahi has played 264 matches in IPL, in which he scored 5243 runs at a strike rate of 137.54 and an average of 39.13.

Mahi, who made Chennai champion 5 times, comes at number 6 in terms of scoring most runs.

5. Shikhar Dhawan 

Shikhar Dhawan, popularly known as Gabbar, comes at number 5 in the list. He has played 222 matches, in which he has faced defeat in 108 matches. During this time Dhawan has scored 6769 runs at a strike rate of 127.14 and an average of 35.26.