As the 13th edition of the ODI World Cup kicked off in India with New Zealand thrashing Champion England in the first match, the spotlight turns to the captains who have left an indelible mark on the tournament’s history. With 6 different champions emerging over the years, including defending champions England, anticipation is building for another thrilling showdown.

This year, the World Cup is featuring just 10 teams, and surprisingly, two-time champions West Indies won’t be among them after failing to qualify during the qualifiers. As cricket enthusiasts eagerly await the tournament, the role of captains in shaping their teams’ destinies cannot be overstated.

Statistical data sheds light on the most successful captains in the history of the ICC Cricket World Cup. Over 100 captains have led their sides in the World Cup on at least three occasions. Here are the top five captains, ranked by the number of matches won in this prestigious event.

Captains

Ricky Ponting (Australia): Ricky Ponting, the most capped captain in ICC World Cups, stands out as the most successful. With an astounding 26 wins out of 29 matches, Ponting's leadership has been unparalleled. Under his guidance, Australia suffered only two defeats in World Cup matches, a testament to his extraordinary captaincy skills.
Stephen Fleming (New Zealand): Stephen Fleming, the second most successful World Cup captain, led New Zealand from the 1999 World Cup until his retirement post the 2007 edition. Despite winning 16 games as captain, he couldn't clinch the World Cup title for New Zealand. However, his leadership led the team to multiple semi-finals.
Clive Lloyd (West Indies): Clive Lloyd is one of the legendary skippers in World Cup history. Leading the West Indies to consecutive victories in 1975 and 1979, he remains undefeated in World Cup finals. Lloyd faced two losses in World Cups, both against India in the 1983 edition.
MS Dhoni (India): MS Dhoni, the iconic Indian captain, led his team to victory in the 2011 World Cup. Although he faced just two losses as captain, one in a league game in the 2011 World Cup and another in the 2015 semi-final, Dhoni's leadership was instrumental in India's triumph.
Every Pakistani recognises the name of Imran Khan. He is Pakistan’s best captain and all-rounder in history. Imran Khan served as the country’s captain in 1992, when it earned its lone World Cup victory. He was well-known for his motivating abilities and lectures to his colleagues. He dubbed his crew the “cornered tigers,” yet they delivered like roaring tigers. Experts claimed that if Imran had not been the captain or a member of the team, Pakistan would not have won the 1992 World Cup. He was behaving more like a true batsman than a bowler. He hit an enthralling 37-ball 60 to help Pakistan defeat New Zealand in the semi-finals. In the finals against England, he top-scored with 72 runs, helping Pakistan to 249 and their bowlers to all-out England for 227.