Top 5: Most Wins by a Captain in T20 World Cup History

In T20 World Cup history, former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won the most matches (21). No other captain has won more than 15 matches in the T20 World Cup.

In this article, we will talk about the top 5 captains with the most wins in T20 World Cup history.

5. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

Former Sri Lankan captain and wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Sangakkara led Sri Lanka in 14 T20 World Cup matches, winning 10 out of them and losing 4.

The left-handed batter led Sri Lanka in the 2009 and 2010 T20 World Cup editions. Both times, Sri Lanka qualified for the semi-finals, and in the 2009 iteration, Sri Lanka were the runner-up, losing the final to Pakistan by 8 wickets.

4. Graeme Smith (South Africa)

Left-handed South African opener and former captain Graeme Smith led South Africa in 16 T20 World Cup matches, winning 11 out of them and losing 5.

Smith led South Africa in the first three editions of the T20 World Cup. In the 2007 edition, the Proteas failed to qualify for the semi-finals despite being the hosts.

Smith led his team to the semis in the 2009 T20 World Cup but lost the match to Pakistan by 7 runs, and in the 2010 edition, South Africa again failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

3. Daren Sammy (West Indies)

Daren Sammy won two T20 World Cup trophies as the West Indies captain. Overall, he led them in 18 T20 World Cup matches, winning 12 of them, losing five, and having one match washed out.

In his first T20 World Cup as captain, Daren Sammy won the trophy by beating Sri Lanka in the final. The West Indies, again under Sammy’s leadership, qualified for the T20 World Cup semi-finals in 2014, but they lost it to Sri Lanka. In the 2016 T20 World Cup, Daren Sammy again led his team to the final, winning the tournament by beating England by 4 wickets.

2. Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

Kane Williamson, the current captain of the New Zealand team, has led them in 21 T20 World Cup matches and won 14 of them. Kane led New Zealand for the first time in the T20 World Cup 2016, where he led his team to the semi-finals, which they lost to England by 7 wickets.

Then the right-handed batter led New Zealand in the 2021 T20 World Cup, where he took the Blackcaps to the finals, which they lost to Australia by 8 wickets. Williamson again led the Kiwis in the 2022 T20 World Cup, but similar to 2016, his men lost the semi-final by 7 wickets, this time against Pakistan. In 2024, he couldn’t take his team to the Super 8 stage.

1. MS Dhoni (India)

MS Dhoni has won the most matches in T20 World Cup history. He led India in 33 matches, winning 21 of them and losing 11, while his first match as a captain in the T20 World Cup was washed out against Scotland in 2007.

MS Dhoni won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007 by beating Pakistan in the final by 5 runs. MS Dhoni then led India in 2009, 2010, and 2012, when his team failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

But in the 2014 edition of the T20 World Cup, MS Dhoni led Team India to the final, where they lost by 6 wickets. MS Dhoni again led Team India in the 2016 T20 World Cup, where they lost the semi-final against the West Indies by 7 wickets.

Read Next | 5 Greatest Batting Performances in T20 World Cup history