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When we consider the immense patience that goes into playing for more than a decade in the Indian Premier League but never having the opportunity to lead the team as a skipper. The franchises tend to love handing the reins to either new faces or proven international captains. To reach the status of captain after many years of hard work in just one franchise is truly remarkable.

 

It takes massive dedication, tactical evolution, and deep loyalty to stick around long enough for management to finally hand over the reins. Recently, a major milestone was reached when a legendary fast bowler finally stepped out as skipper after thirteen gruelling seasons. This event completely shook up the historical record books. Here is a look at the five iconic players who spent the absolute longest time battling out in the middle before finally being trusted to lead an IPL franchise into battle.

 

Top 5 Players With Most IPL Matches Before Becoming Captain

 

Player	Matches Before Captaincy	First Captaincy Team	First Year as Captain
Ravindra Jadeja	200	Chennai Super Kings	2022
Jasprit Bumrah	156	Mumbai Indians	2026
Manish Pandey	153	Sunrisers Hyderabad	2021
Axar Patel	148	Delhi Capitals	2024
Kieron Pollard	137	Mumbai Indians	2019

 

Top 5 Players With Most IPL Matches Before Becoming Captain Details

 

Ravindra Jadeja

 

Image Source : BCCI

 

Sitting at the absolute top of this list is the star all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja. Having started this journey winning the inaugural 2008 title, he waited a staggering 200 matches before finally taking charge. The massive opportunity arrived during the 2022 season when he was appointed full-time leader of the Chennai Super Kings.

 

Unfortunately, the burden proved heavy. After securing just two victories across the first eight outings, the franchise handed the reins back to MS Dhoni mid-season.

 

Also Read | 5 IPL Legends From Defunct Teams Who Fans Still Miss Today

 

Jasprit Bumrah

 

 

Claiming the second spot is Mumbai Indians' legendary fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. After anchoring the bowling attack for thirteen seasons and 156 games, the ultimate reward finally arrived in 2026.

 

Taking the field at the picturesque Dharamsala stadium, he stepped up to lead the side against the Punjab Kings in the absence of Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav. It was a massive career milestone for the homegrown hero who had already successfully led the national side.

 

Manish Pandey

 

Image Source : Associated Press

 

Occupying the third position is Manish Pandey, a veteran who has been around since the very first season. After representing multiple franchises and playing 153 games, the solitary opportunity to lead arrived with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2021.

 

Stepping up against the Mumbai Indians, the classy batter delivered a fighting unbeaten 69 off 41 deliveries. Despite this excellent individual effort from the front, the Hyderabad squad ultimately fell short and lost the contest by 42 runs.

 

Axar Patel

 

 

Axar Patel takes the fourth spot, having waited 148 matches before officially calling the shots. Emerging as a promising youngster in 2014, the spinner eventually found a long-term home with the Delhi Capitals. The first taste of leadership happened during the 2024 campaign.

 

When Rishabh Pant departed the following year, Axar was handed the full-time captaincy for 2025 and 2026. Across the first 25 matches in charge, the reliable spin all-rounder managed to secure ten hard-fought victories.

 

Kieron Pollard

 

 

Rounding out this elite list is the ultimate Mumbai Indians match-winner, Kieron Pollard. The powerful Caribbean all-rounder played 136 games before finally leading the side during the 2019 season against the Kings XI Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium.

 

In essence, acting as a dependable captain from 2019 to 2021, Pollard proved himself to be tactically brilliant. In six games he captained, the West Indian was able to lead his team to four important wins while losing just two games.

 

Also Read | Top 5 Best Bowling Performances by Uncapped Players in IPL

 

Conclusion

 

Seeing these experienced players take control after many years of enduring shows the immense depth of franchise cricket. As much as fans rejoice over these much-awaited captaincy appearances, their true value is seen in the way they lead their teams.

 

Having seen all the highs and lows of playing for their teams gives these newly appointed captains an edge in mentoring the next generation. Such stable leadership creates the perfect conditions, greatly enhancing the contribution of these uncapped players to the league. With new fearless talent playing under great leaders who know what it takes to endure the long grind, the whole tournament becomes highly competitive.