Test format is considered to be the toughest among all the three formats of cricket. The biggest reason for this is that any player's technique and patience are truly tested in this format. Whichever team has the better balance of bowling and batting, it becomes easier for them to win. But the role of the captain is also very important.

Also Read: Most five-wicket hauls amongst left-arm pacers in Tests

In Test cricket, the game is seen changing from session to session. So, the captain's role is very important. He has to make the right decisions while bowling or batting. In this article, we will discuss most Test wins as a captain, under whose leadership the teams have been most successful.

Most Test wins as a captain

1# Graeme Smith | 53

From 2003 to 2014, South Africa's dominance was seen in the Test format. The biggest reason for this was the captaincy of Graeme Smith, who was also considered an excellent left-handed batsman. 

Under the captaincy of Smith, South Africa played 109 test matches, out of which they won 53, suffered 29 losses, and had 27 drawn ones. The team's winning percentage was 48.62. It also won Test series in Australia, New Zealand, England and West Indies. 

2# Ricky Ponting | 48

The performance of the Australian team in the Test format has been quite excellent so far. The biggest reason for this has been the presence of one excellent player in the team. After the retirement of Steve Waugh in 2004, the responsibility of captaining the Australian team was handed over to Ricky Ponting. He led the team from 2004 to 2010.

Under the captaincy of Ponting, the Australian team started being counted among the most dangerous teams in world cricket. Under the leadership of Ponting, the Kangaroo team played 77 test matches, out of which they won 48.

3# Steve Waugh | 41

After the retirement of Mark Taylor in February 1999, Steve Waugh was appointed the captain of the Australian team.

Under the leadership of Waugh, the team played its first Test series on the West Indies tour. This test series ended in a tie at 2-2. The team had also made a record of winning 16 consecutive Test series, which was stopped by India. Waugh led Australia in 57 Test matches and won 41 of them. He had only 9 losses as skipper with 7 drawn games.

4# Virat Kohli | 40

The Indian team performed brilliantly in the Test format under the captaincy of Virat Kohli from 2014 to 2022. With the most Test wins as an Indian captain, Kohli's legacy is truly unmatched.

Also Read: Virat Kohli became the Test captain on this very day; a look at Kohli's legacy as Test captain

During the tour of Sri Lanka in 2015, Team India won the 3-match Test series by 2-1. After this, in the year 2018-19, India became the first team in Asia to win the Test series in Australia. Under the captaincy of Kohli, Team India had won 40 out of total 68 test matches. He had 17 losses as skipper with 11 drawn matches. During this period, the team's winning percentage was 58.82.

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. 

The Indian Premier League is just around the corner with the tournament set to start on 22 March.

As usual, it is highly anticipated and is set to draw a huge viewing audience.

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

As we move towards the first fixture, between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, let’s take a moment to go back in time and see which batsmen have scored the most runs in IPL since 2018.

Most Runs in IPL (2018-2024)

8. Suryakumar Yadav | 2986 Runs

Suryakumar Yadav had his IPL debut in 2011 for MI. But he got his breakthrough in KKR under Gautam Gambhir but didn't perform up to that level. 2018 saw him return to the Mumbai Indians, where he made massive strides in his IPL career.

Surya has scored 2986 runs during this period in 84 games at an average of 35.55 and a strike rate of 148.71. He has two centuries and 23 half-centuries to his name. He struck 440 boundaries, including 331 fours and 109 sixes.

In 2023, he had his greatest IPL season, where he was appointed as the vice-captain of MI along with scoring 605 runs with a strike rate of 181.14 in 16 innings.

7. Sanju Samson | 2993 Runs

Rajasthan Royals' skipper and wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has always been a player to rely on in the IPL. He has scored 2993 runs during the 2018-2024 season with two centuries and 18 half-centuries.

IPL 2024 was one of the best seasons for Samson with the bat as he amassed 531 runs at an impressive average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46. He also led the team to the playoffs for the second time after taking over the reins in IPL 2021.

6. Jos Buttler | 3055 Runs

Jos Buttler comes sixth in the list scoring 3055 runs in 73 matches at an average of 41.85 and a strike rate of 147.80. He has seven centuries and 18 half-centuries to his name.

Buttler had an unforgettable 2022 season, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 863 runs at an average of 57.53 and a blistering strike rate of 149.05.

The England star smashed four centuries and four half-centuries, playing a crucial role in Rajasthan Royals’ journey to the final. His ability to accelerate and play match-winning innings made him one of the standout performers of the season.

5. Shikhar Dhawan | 3208 Runs

Shikhar Dhawan is fifth on the list of most runs in IPL since 2018. He has been a consistent run-getter over this period, crossing the 400-run mark each season from 2018 to 2024. 

Dhawan has 3208 runs in 83 games at an average of 38.65 and a strike rate of 133.56, including 2 hundred and 23 half-centuries, with the help of 367 fours and 82 sixes. 

His best season came in 2020 when he made 618 runs with 2 hundred and 4 fifties. 

4. Shubman Gill | 3216 Runs

Shubman Gill made his IPL debut in 2018 season and scored 3216 runs so far in 85 matches at an average of 37.84 and a strike rate of 135.70. 

Gill was the leading run-scorer of IPL 2023, amassing 890 runs in 17 matches at an impressive average of 59.33. His strike rate of 157.80 included 3 centuries and 4 half-centuries, with a highest score of 129. He also smashed 85 fours and 33 sixes throughout the tournament.

Gill’s heroics helped Gujarat Titans reach the 2023 final, making him a player to watch for many seasons to come.

3. Faf du Plessis | 3276 Runs

Faf Du Plessis, who guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the playoffs last season, has the most runs in IPL during 2018-2024 period. He has scored 3276 runs in 84 matches at an average of 39.01 and a strike rate of 140.04.

He was also sensational with the bat as he scored 438 runs in 2022 season. It came after a brilliant run with the bat in 2023 when he scored over 700 runs for RCB.

Prior to his stint with Bangalore, Du Plessis enjoyed a highly successful tenure with the Chennai Super Kings, winning IPL titles in 2018 and 2021. 

The Proteas batter boasts an impressive record in the overall tournament, scoring 4,571 runs in 145 matches, including 37 half-centuries.

Also Read: Most Wickets in IPL history

2. Virat Kohli | 3586 Runs

Despite Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s struggles in recent seasons, Virat Kohli continued to shine with the bat in every season. He amassed 3586 runs since 2018 season at an average of 40.29 and a strike rate of 134.7, reminding everyone why he is one of the greatest batsmen in T20 cricket.

Kohli has four centuries and 25 half-centuries to his name. His IPL career has seen him hit 339 fours and 163 sixes during this period.

Kohli also scored the most runs in IPL in history with 8004 runs in 252 matches, including 8 centuries and 55 fifties.

1. KL Rahul | 3958 Runs

KL Rahul has hammered 3,958 runs in 79 matches since the start of IPL 2018. He has scored the most runs in IPL this period. 

The tally includes four tons and 33 fifties. Rahul is the only batter to slam 3,000-plus IPL runs in this period. Shikhar Dhawan (3,208), the only other batter to score 2,500-plus since IPL 2018, follows Rahul on this tally.

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.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) conducts different cricket events and tournaments throughout the year. ICC tournaments are the biggest platforms in the game of cricket, where the top teams contest against each other for championship podiums.

Contributing to the team on a big stage like this will always be remembered for a long time. The ODI World Cup is conducted once every four years, whereas the Men's T20 World Cup is played every two years. The ICC Champions Trophy is where only the top 8 teams compete in each finals tournament.

Last but not least, the World Test Championship is played over two years. This article thoroughly talks about the men's cricketing teams that have won ICC trophies at some point in time. Let's take a look at the teams with the most ICC Trophies.

Read Also: Rohit Sharma in ICC knockout games

Australia | 10

Australia's sheer dominance over other cricketing teams is nothing new. For decades, Australia has been executing out-of-ordinary performances and winning trophies for the country. Out of all the cricketing countries, Australia has the most ICC trophies.

Till now the Aussies won 10 ICC trophies. Australia is the only team to win 6 ICC World Cups. The most successful team in the Cricket World Cup clinched the trophy in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, and 2023. Interestingly Australia made a record of being the only team to win the trophy in all the countries that hosted the World Cup.

Australia won the ICC Champions Trophy twice in 2006 and 2009 against West Indies and New Zealand respectively. Lastly, Australia lifted their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup trophy after defeating New Zealand in the 2021 T20 World Cup. They claimed the ICC World Test Championship after defeating India at the Oval by a huge margin of 209 runs.

Read also: Top 8 Wicket-takers of T20 World Cup 2021

India | 7

India sits in the second position on this prestigious list of most ICC Trophies by any team. India won their first-ever ICC World Cup in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. Later again 28 years, the men in blue won the World Cup for the second time under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011.

The Indian men's cricket team also reached the semifinals four times in 1987, 1996, 2015, and 2019. Meantime, they lost in two finals in 2003 and 2023.

The men in blue won the Champions Trophy thrice. First, in 2002, both the finalists India and Sri Lanka were declared the co-champions of the 2002 Champions Trophy. In the 2013 edition, India defeated England by 5 runs and won the Champions Trophy for the second time in Birmingham. Their latest triumph came via Champions Trophy 2025, as they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai in the final.

Lastly, India won the inaugural edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 after defeating Pakistan in Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, India defeated  South Africa by 7 runs to lift the trophy for the second time.

Read also: India's performance in every ICC tournament

West Indies | 5

Read also: T20 World Cup 2021: Man of the Series, highest wicket-taker, and highest run-getter

Next on this list is West Indies with a total of 5 ICC trophies. The first-ever ICC World Cup final was won by West Indies in 1975. West Indies once again continued their reign in the next edition of the World Cup as well, in 1979. The Caribbean team also won the Champions Trophy in 2004. Lastly, West Indies became the winner of the ICC T20 World Cup twice; once against Sri Lanka in 2012 and the other time against England in 2016.

England | 3

Till 2010, the England team has not had any ICC Tournament. But, it was in 2010, when they won their first ICC T20 World Cup against arch-rival Australia. Craig Kieswetter guided them home in the final for their first-ever ICC Trophy. Post that, they have been a phenomenal white-ball team and won two ICC World Cups since then.

In 2019, they won their first ICC Men's ODI World Cup as Ben Stokes made all the difference in the final against England in a match where boundary count helped England to win the World Cup.

England's latest ICC Trophy triumph came under Jos Buttler as they became the first-ever team in Cricket history to hold the ODI and T20 World Cup at the same time. Jos Buttler and company won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 as Sam Curran won the player of the tournament after taking 13 wickets with the ball. Curran also was the player of the match in the final as well.

Pakistan | 3

Pakistan sits in the fourth position on the list of most ICC Trophy wins by any team with 3 ICC trophies. The first-ever ICC trophy won by Pakistan was during the 1992 cricket World Cup. Pakistan defeated England in the final and won by 22 runs.

The next ICC trophy won by Pakistan was in the 2009 T20 World Cup where they beat Sri Lanka in the final and won the title by 8 wickets. The most recent and last ICC win of Pakistan is the 2017 Champions Trophy where they defeated India by 180 runs.

Read also: "No one is more disappointed than me": Hasan Ali after T20 World Cup 2021 exit

Sri Lanka | 3

Read also: ICC Hall of fame: Shaun Pollock, Mahela Jayawardene and Janette Britti get inducted

With 3 ICC trophies, Sri Lanka sits in 5th position on this list. Sri Lanka won their first-ever ICC World Cup in 1996 where they played against Australia in the final hosted in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. They went ahead to win their next ICC trophy in the 2002 Champions Trophy. The winner of the tournament is actually both India and Sri Lanka as both the finalist teams were declared as co-champions.

The last time Sri Lanka won an ICC Trophy was when they defeated India in the 2014 T20 World Cup hosted in Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Dhaka.

New Zealand | 2

The New Zealand cricket team has won a total of 2 ICC trophies since they started competing in tournaments conducted by ICC. The Kiwis won their first-ever ICC Trophy in the 2000 Champions Trophy. Nairobi hosted the final of New Zealand vs India where New Zealand won the match by 4 wickets.

The next ICC Trophy won by the Kiwis was the ICC World Test Championship. Once again, New Zealand played against India in the final of an ICC event and clinched the trophy in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship final.

Read also: Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments

South Africa | 1

With a team of talented and world-renowned cricketers, South Africa won only one ICC trophy throughout its entire history. In the 1998 ICC Champions Trophy hosted in Bangladesh, South Africa beat West Indies in the final and won the title. Jacques Kallis was exceptional and contributed the most to the team reaching and winning the final and was awarded the player of the tournament. He hit a century and picked up a five-wicket haul as well.

Note: The stats include shared trophies. The article was first written by Shreya Ghosh and then got edited by Abishek Goswami.

Hello and welcome to the LIVE coverage of the India vs New Zealand Final in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, to be played today at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.

Exactly a week ago, India faced off against New Zealand in the last group game of the Group A. India won the match by 44 runs to finish first in the group stage.

However, India defeated Australia by four wickets in the first semi-final, whereas New Zealand posted a dominant win by 50 runs against South Africa in the second semi-final.

Both teams have displayed supreme cricketing action so far in this tournament, setting up a potential thrilling final. So just relax and enjoy the epic clash as Sportz Point provides you with all the real-time updates, team news, live scores, images and match commentary of the epic India vs New Zealand Final in the ICC CT '25.

This is Koushik Biswas and Soumit Bhattacharya who bring you all the LIVE Updates from the web desk.

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