Rohit Sharma vs MS Dhoni, Who is the Better Captain in IPL?

Rohit Sharm and MS Dhoni have won the most IPL titles as captains (Source: x.com)Rohit Sharm and MS Dhoni have won the most IPL titles as captains (Source: x.com)

When discussing the Indian Premier League, the rivalry between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings takes centre stage in most discussions. As we talk about these two franchises, we obviously cannot leave out the iconic leaders in Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni. 

Rohit Sharma's captaincy stint began for the MI in 2013, and he started with a title-winning effort. Since then, he has been at the helm of things, leading the team to four more titles. Although Rohit will not lead the Mumbai Indians this year, his name will be etched in golden letters in the franchise's history. 


On the other hand, MS Dhoni has been the captain of the Chennai Super Kings since the inception of IPL. In between, he also led the Rising Pune Super Giants for a year when CSK was disbanded for a couple of years. Although his stint with RPS was unsuccessful, he has seen all the glitterati with the 'Yellow Army'. MSD has led the Chennai Super Kings to five IPL titles and is considered a legend when it comes to captaincy in the league. 

It is a tough job when we have to come down to a comparison between the two. However, we will take the best analytical approach for this and find the answer to the question: Who is a better captain between Rohit Sharm and MS Dhoni? 


Rohit vs Dhoni - IPL Captaincy Record

Player
Matches
Won
Lost
Win %
Rohit Sharma
158876755.06
MS Dhoni2261339158.84

The above table clearly shows that when it is a fight of the numbers, MS Dhoni emerges as the winner. 


Rohit vs Dhoni - IPL Captaincy Record in Knockout matches

Player
Matches
Won
Lost
Win %
Rohit Sharma15114
73.33
MS Dhoni2617965.38

While the overall record spoke in favour of MS Dhoni, it tilts towards Rohit Sharma regarding knock-out games. Rohit has been an outstanding skipper in the pressure games, leading the team to glory most of the time. Although MSD's record is also convincing in the knock-outs, this round goes to Rohit. 


Rohit vs Dhoni - Batting record as Captain in IPL

Rohit Sharma vs MS Dhoni - Batting Records as Captain in IPL (Source: OneCricket)Rohit Sharma vs MS Dhoni - Batting Records as Captain in IPL (Source: OneCricket)

While the picture above gives us a good idea about how influential these two have been with the bat in the team's success, the calculation of Batting Efficiency makes things even more apparent. The BE of Rohit Sharma is 106.77, and MS Dhoni's is 104.64. So, even though slightly, Sharma edges past the CSK legend in this case also. 


Rohit vs Dhoni- Batting Record as Captain in Chases

The real mettle of a batter is shown in case of chase when the pressure is on the team. Let us check the record of these two Titans in this case. 

Rohit Sharma vs MS Dhoni batting record as captain in chases (Source: OneCricket)Rohit Sharma vs MS Dhoni batting record as captain in chases (Source: OneCricket)

The figure above gives us the idea of close competition between the two. When the BEs are calculated, Rohit Sharma has 102.20 to her name, while MS Dhoni's is 103.51. So, once again, it was a pretty close fight, but MSD emerged as the winner in this case.


Rohit vs Dhoni - Batting Record as Captain in the Playoffs and Finals

Rohit Sharma vs MS Dhoni Batting Record as Captain in Playoffs and Finals (Source: OneCricket)Rohit Sharma vs MS Dhoni Batting Record as Captain in Playoffs and Finals (Source: OneCricket)

In this section we take a look at how these two have performed as batters while leading the team in the playoffs and finals. The figure suggests that MS Dhoni has a better record in this case. The Batting Efficiency also gives us the same as it reads 84.238 for MS Dhoni and 70.067 for Rohit Sharma. 


Conclusion

MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma will be remembered as the legends of Indian cricket. In IPL, as leaders, they have also achieved everything. A comparison between the two is beyond quantification and analysis. However, an attempt at the same has been made to answer this long-standing query. Per the metrics used in this article, the fight between the two superstars has been close. But CSK's Thala emerges as the winner by the narrowest margin of 3-2.