Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar thinks Umran Malik, a rookie pacer, should take the plane to Australia for this year's T20 World Cup after being impressed by his raw pace. Later this year, in the months of October and November, Australia will host the T20 World Cup 2022.

Also Read: Indian Captain Rohit Sharma Tested Positive For COVID-19

"I hope so because he (Umran) is a very exciting talent. He did well in the IPL and he deserves a chance as he looked like the best bowler in the format. I hope he is on the plane and I am sure he will do well if given an opportunity."

Dilip Vengsarkar told reporters here on Saturday

In 14 IPL games for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season, Umran took 22 wickets, but it is his ability to regularly bowl at 95 mph that has everyone's attention.

As a result of his reliability, he received his first national call-up for the T20 series against South Africa, but he did not get to play. It is unclear whether he will get to play his first game for India in the next T20 series against Ireland, which starts on Sunday.

"He is young, keen to play, and hungry for success": Dilip Vengsarkar

"He is young and raring to go. You must give an opportunity to someone who is in form. He is young, keen to play, and hungry for success." 

Dilip Vengsarkar said

Read Also: Ireland Vs India: 1st T20I Full Preview, Lineups, Pitch Report, And Dream11 Team Prediction

Roger Binny another former national selector echoed the views of his former teammate, "There is definitely going to be a bigger bunch of fast bowlers coming through now. And he should be given a chance straight away because he has proved that he is quick and if you saw him bowl some of the yorkers in the IPL that was brute force. So you cannot keep a youngster out for that long," Binny said.

In a tournament like the IPL, the role of the captain is of utmost importance given that the game can change very quickly. However, it is not an easy job to lead a side in such a big tournament. The franchises also do not give a longer run to a player if he fails to perform as a captain. 

There have been few cricketers who have enjoyed a long run in captaincy in IPL because of their consistent performance and mind blowing winning percentage. 

In this article, we will be discussing the most wins in IPL as captain.

Most wins in IPL as captain 

6. David Warner | 40

Australian player David Warner has captained Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in 83 games, winning 40 and losing 41, two of which were tied. 

He is also the third Aussie to win the IPL title as captain.

5. Shreyas Iyer | 40 Wins

Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title last season, he has joined the IPL winning captains along with greats MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.

Iyer has been the captain in 72 games for three different franchise (DC, KKR, and PBKS), in which he has won 40 games and lost 29.

4. Virat Kohli | 66 Wins

Virat Kohli is the most successful Test captain for India and also led Royal Challengers Bangalore for several seasons in the IPL. Overall, Virat Kohli captained for a total of 143 matches and won 66 and lost 70 of these matches with a win percentage of 46.15. 

Later, Faf du Plessis took over from him as skipper. Now Rajat Patidar is leading the team in 18th season. 

3. Gautam Gambhir | 71 Wins

Gautam Gambhir has proved his leadership skills in the IPL and international cricket alike. In total, Gautam Gambhir won 71 matches out of the 129 he captained. 

The left-handed batter was Kolkata Knight Riders' skipper in their successful campaigns in 2012 and 2014, making him the third-most successful IPL captain. He also led the team for the Delhi Capitals in multiple seasons. His winning percentage in IPL as captain is 55.03.

2. Rohit Sharma | 87 Wins

One of the most successful leaders of IPL, Rohit Sharma has captained Mumbai Indians in 158 games, in which he won 87 of them and lost 67. Under Rohit's captaincy, MI has won 5 IPL titles ( 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020).

Rohit's win percentage in IPL as captain is 55.06.

1. MS Dhoni | 133 Wins

India's legendary leader Mahendra Singh Dhoni has captained two franchise (CSK and RPS) in his career. In 226 games as a leader, Dhoni has won 133 and lost 91 times. He also led CSK to five IPL titles in the years 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023.

Dhoni's win percentage of 58.84 is the highest among captains to have led in more than 50 matches. He also holds the record for playing the most number of IPL matches as a captain.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Indian men's cricket team's schedule for the upcoming home series against West Indies and South Africa. The men in blue will play a two-match test series against the West Indies to start the 2025-26 season, followed by an all-format series against South Africa. 

The West Indies series will start with the test match, starting from 2nd October 2025 in Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, the second and final test match of the series will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, starting from 10th October. 

After the West Indies series, the focus will be shifted towards the all-format home series against the strong Proteas side. The first test match of the series will be played in New Delhi from 14th November. Guwahati will host its first-ever test match, as the test series is set to end there from 22nd November. 

The three-match ODI series will be played in Ranchi, Raipur, and Vizag. On the other hand, the five-match T20I series will be played in Cuttack, New Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Lucknow and Ahmedabad. 

Here is the full schedule for the home series against West Indies and South Africa

West Indies Tour of India 2025

South Africa Tour of India 2025

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.

India's performance in the ICC events has been mixed in recent years. The title win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 ended India’s 11-year-long ICC title drought after it last won a global tournament back in 2013 - the ICC Champions Trophy.

Their latest triumph came via Champions Trophy 2025, as they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai in the final. It was the second consecutive ICC trophy for India under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.

So far, India have collected 7 ICC trophies including two 50 over World Cups, three Champions Trophy, and two T20 World Cups in 2007 and 2024.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won 3 ICC events as a captain and Rohit Sharma has 2 in those 7 ICC trophies that India won so far. In this article, SportzPoint will give you  details on India's performances in every ICC tournaments so far.

ICC Cricket World Cup (1975 - 2023):

The International Cricket Council (ICC) started the ODI World Cup back in the year 1975. From then, ICC organized the tournament a total of 13 times. Australia are the most successful in the format as they won 6 titles so far.

India won their first World Cup under Kapil Dev back in 1983 and next under Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011. With 2 titles India are the second most successful team alongside West Indies in the 50 overs format after Australia. 

Read Also: Most ICC Trophy wins by any team

Indian Men's Cricket team also lost two ODI World Cup finals, one under Sourav Ganguly in 2003 and another one under Rohit Sharma in 2023. Here is how India performed in the each of the 13 editions of the ICC Cricket World Cup.

India's performance in every ICC Cricket World Cup

ICC Champions Trophy (1998 - 2025):

ICC started a new tournament of the 50 overs format in 1998 called the Champions Trophy. It was also referred as a "Mini World Cup". Till 2006 the Champion's Trophy was held every two years. After that, it continues with a gap of 4 years from 2009.

In 2003, India reached the Finals of the tournament along with Sri Lanka. As the match got washed out and India were declared joint winners.

However, India finally won the ICC Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni in 2013 after defeating England by 5 runs.

In 2025, India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai to lift the trophy for the third time. It was the second consecutive ICC trophy for India under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.

Let's take a look at India's performance in the tournament so far.

Read Also | ICC Men's Champions trophy winners list

India's performance in Champions Trophy so far

ICC T20 World Cup (2007 - 2024):

International Cricket Council introduced a new format marquee tournament in 2007 as T20 Cricket started to grow globally. ICC started the T20 World Cup in the year 2007. India defeated their arch-rival Pakistan in the final that year and won the inaugural T20 World Cup under MS Dhoni.

Read Also: India's performance in every T20 World Cup 

Since then, the Indian cricket team became runners-up in 2014 and then finally lifted the trophy again in 2024 under Rohit Sharma.

India's performance in every T20 World Cup

ICC World Test Championship (2019-2025):

ICC World Test Championship started in the year 2019 as New Zealand won the inaugural WTC after defeating India in the ICC World Test Championship 2021 Final.

India once again qualified for the Test Championship final in 2023 and this time, it was Australia who challenged them. India bottled their chance to win an ICC trophy after waiting for a decade and lost the match by a huge margin of 209 runs. 

In 2023-25 World Test Championship, India failed to qualify for the final.

India's performance in every WTC