In the high-stakes world of IPL finals, pressure makes diamonds — and these four captains didn’t just show up, they showed the way
The IPL final is no ordinary cricket match. It's a pressure cooker, a stage where careers are remembered—or forgotten. For captains, the burden is doubled. They're not just making bowling changes or field placements; they're setting the tone, walking the talk, and often… swinging the bat themselves.
In some finals, the captains haven't merely called the shots—they've hit them, too. Here's a throwback to four iconic finals where the skippers didn't hide behind strategy boards—they stepped up, swung hard, and carried their teams to the summit.
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51 balls. 68 runs. One captain's stamp on a fifth title.
In the 2020 final, Dubai's desert air buzzed with tension. Delhi Capitals, appearing in their first-ever IPL final, posted 156/7. A decent total, but not daunting. Mumbai Indians needed someone to keep their cool—and up stepped Rohit Sharma.
His innings wasn't flashy. It was clinical. Rohit danced down the track, picked gaps like a surgeon with a scalpel, and ensured the asking rate never spiralled out of control.
He never allowed DC's pacers to settle a lofted four here, a swivel-pull there. The job was nearly done when he fell for 68 off 51 balls. MI cruised home with 8 balls to spare. Calm, composed, clinical. Classic Rohit.
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If aggression had a face that night, it wore a sunrisers cap.
It was 2016, and Sunrisers Hyderabad faced the star-studded Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The crowd roared for Kohli and Gayle, but Warner had other plans.
David Warner came out like a man possessed. He struck 69 off just 38 balls, hitting boundaries at will and pulling the game away from RCB before they could blink.
His knock, laced with 8 fours and 3 sixes, propelled SRH to a commanding 208/7. RCB's famed batting lineup faltered, and SRH sealed the trophy by 8 runs. Warner didn't just bat; he bulldozed.
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50 off 26 balls? In a final? Rohit didn't just show up—he lit up Eden Gardens.
Back in 2015, MI faced their arch-rivals, CSK. The Chennai bowlers had barely warmed up before Rohit went into overdrive. He thrashed 6 fours and 2 sixes in a fiery 26-ball 50, setting the tone for MI's massive total of 202/5.
It wasn't just the runs; it was how they were scored. Rohit played shots all around the wicket, utilising the pace, finding gaps, and disrupting CSK's rhythm early on.
With scoreboard pressure mounting, CSK fell short by 41 runs. The victory was significant—but Rohit's powerplay blast was even more impressive. A captain's knock that pierced through the pressure.
When your captain scores runs and takes wickets in a final, you know the title is in safe hands.
In 2022, Gujarat Titans were the new kids on the block. Their final opponent? Rajasthan Royals. Their leader? Hardik Pandya. And boy, did he deliver.
With the ball, he bowled a dream spell—4 overs for just 17 runs and 3 key wickets, including Jos Buttler. He didn't just contain—he choked the opposition. Then, with the bat, he contributed a steady 34 off 30 balls, guiding GT in a tricky chase.
Pandya wasn't loud, but he was lethal. In their debut season, Gujarat cruised home with 11 balls to spare, lifting the trophy. The man of the match? No surprises there. It was the captain himself.
