Highest win percentage in ODIs by captains (Top 3)
The captain is the most valuable player in cricket. They shape the team and build a culture that not only serves the team for the current batch but helps for generations to come. For example, Ricky Ponting’s tactics and game awareness still inspire the current Australian squad while Sourav Ganguly’s ruthlessness gave birth to an aggressive era that was further polished during MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli’s captaincy.
As a captain, delivering in international cricket is never easy. The competition is extremely tough but some legendary teams defied all the odds and cemented their legacy in the sport. The captain more often than not is given all the credit and for the same reason, let’s check out three captains with the highest percentage of wins in ODI cricket with a minimum of 50 matches in charge.
3. 68.42 – Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli stands third on the list of highest win percentage by a captain in ODI cricket. The star India batter led the national team in 95 ODIs and won 65 of them. He has a win percentage of 64.42, which is sensational, to say the least. However, the 36-year-old failed to win the ODI World Cup during his tenure as captain in 2019.
2. 71.74 – Ricky Ponting and Hansie Cronje
Both Ricky Ponting and Hansie Cronje have a win percentage of 71.74 as captain in ODI cricket. The legendary Australia captain led the team in 230 games, winning 165 matches while Cronje won 99 out of 138. Under Ponting, Australia won two ODI World Cups while Cronje’s career ended with charges of match-fixing.
1. 76.19 – Clive Llyod
West Indies were considered to be the toughest team to beat in that era. They won the 1975 and 1979 World Cups and even qualified for the 1983 final. Lloyd led the team in 84 matches, winning 64 of them. He has a win percentage of 76.19, which is the highest in the history of ODI cricket.