With just a few days left until the start of the 2026 T20 World Cup, a controversy has erupted between the ICC and Bangladesh. Now that Bangladesh is out of the running, let's take a look at the eight captains who have achieved success in the T20 World Cup so far. The 2026 T20 World Cup is the tenth edition of the tournament. In the previous nine editions, eight captains have led their teams to victory. The most successful among them is Darren Sammy. Under his captaincy, the West Indies team won the tournament twice, in 2012 and 2016.
T20 World Cup Winner Captain Full List
| Year | Winning Captain | Team | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | MS Dhoni | India | Pakistan |
| 2009 | Younis Khan | Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
| 2010 | Paul Collingwood | England | Australia |
| 2012 | Daren Sammy | West Indies | Sri Lanka |
| 2014 | Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | India |
| 2016 | Daren Sammy | West Indies | England |
| 2021 | Aaron Finch | Australia | New Zealand |
| 2022 | Jos Buttler | England | Pakistan |
| 2024 | Rohit Sharma | India | South Africa |
- Captain with the most wins: MS Dhoni (20 wins)
- Best win/loss ratio: Rohit Sharma (6.00)
- Most matches captained: MS Dhoni (33 matches)
- Two-time champion captain: Darren Sammy
1. MS Dhoni
In the first edition of the T20 World Cup, the Indian team, under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, won the title. Team India defeated Pakistan in the final to lift the trophy. Dhoni also holds the record for the most wins as a captain in the T20 World Cup. He captained Team India in six editions of the tournament. Under Dhoni's captaincy, India played 33 matches in the T20 World Cup, winning 21, losing 11, and one match ended without a result.
2. Younis Khan
In 2009, Pakistan won the title under the captaincy of Younis Khan. In the final, Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets. However, Pakistan has not won the T20 World Cup since then. Under Younis's captaincy, Pakistan played seven matches in the T20 World Cup, winning five and losing two. Younis was removed from the captaincy after the 2009 T20 World Cup. Shahid Afridi was the captain in 2010.
3. Paul Collingwood
In 2010, England, under the captaincy of Paul Collingwood, won the title. England defeated Australia by seven wickets in the final. However, Collingwood's record as captain in the T20 World Cup is not particularly impressive. Under his leadership, England played a total of 17 matches in the T20 World Cup, winning eight and losing eight. One match ended without a result.
4. Darren Sammy
Darren Sammy, the most successful captain in T20 World Cup history, led the West Indies to their first T20 World Cup title in 2012. The team, featuring stars like Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine, defeated Sri Lanka by 36 runs in the final. Under his captaincy, the West Indies won the title again in 2016, beating England in the final. He is the only captain to have won two T20 World Cups. Under Sammy's leadership, the West Indies played a total of 18 matches in the T20 World Cup, winning 11 and losing five. One match ended in a tie, and one was abandoned.
5. Lasith Malinga
In 2014, luck was on Lasith Malinga's and Sri Lanka's side. The team won the championship, defeating India in the final. Regular captain Dinesh Chandimal was suspended for one match due to a slow over rate. As a result, Malinga captained the team in the final, and they went on to win the championship. Since then, Malinga has not captained Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup. Malinga's captaincy record in the T20 World Cup stands at three matches, with Sri Lanka winning all three under his leadership.
6. Aaron Finch
The T20 World Cup 2016 edition took place five years later. In 2021, under the captaincy of Aaron Finch, the Australian team won the title by defeating New Zealand by eight wickets in Dubai. This is Australia's only T20 World Cup title. Finch continued as captain of the Australian team in 2022, but his team was unable to replicate their success. Under Finch's captaincy, Australia played a total of 10 matches in the T20 World Cup, winning eight and losing two.
7. Jos Buttler
In 2022, Jos Buttler's England team delivered a stellar performance, defeating Pakistan by five wickets in the final to clinch the title. Ben Stokes played a magnificent innings in the final. However, Buttler also captained the team in the 2024 T20 World Cup, but they were eliminated in the semi-finals after losing to India. Under Jos Buttler's captaincy, England has played a total of 14 matches in the T20 World Cup, winning nine of them. They lost four matches, and one match ended without a result.
8. Rohit Sharma
Under Rohit Sharma's captaincy, India ended their 11-year drought for an ICC title by winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. In the final, India defeated South Africa by seven runs to lift the trophy. Following this victory, Rohit, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from T20 Internationals. Under Rohit's captaincy, India played a total of 14 matches in the T20 World Cup, winning 12 of them. The team lost only two matches under his leadership. Both of these defeats came in the 2022 T20 World Cup, as the Indian team remained undefeated throughout the 2024 tournament.
T20 World Cup: Captains overall record
| Captain | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Tie | No Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS Dhoni | India | 33 | 20 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| Kane Williamson | New Zealand | 21 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 17 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Daren Sammy | West Indies | 18 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Graeme Smith | South Africa | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Jos Buttler | England | 14 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Dasun Shanaka | Sri Lanka | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul Collingwood | England | 17 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
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