Captains Who Reached the IPL Final in Their Debut Season!

"Every IPL win is a team effort — from players to support staff. But today, we spotlight the captain — the face of every bold decision and big moment."

Shane Warne (2008)

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Turned underdogs into champions and won IPL 2008 with smart strategies & youth.

Shane Warne—Rajasthan Royals

MS Dhoni (2008)

MS Dhoni – Chennai Super Kings

Calm captaincy, lethal finishing, and took CSK to the final in his first IPL!

Anil Kumble (2009)

Anil Kumble—RCB

Veteran spin wizard turned leader! and guided RCB to final with passion & poise.

Daniel Vettori (2011)

Daniel Vettori – RCB

Cool & tactical Kiwi captain and took RCB to their 2nd IPL final.

Rohit Sharma (2013)

Rohit Sharma—Mumbai Indians

Took over mid-season & led from the front and lifted the trophy in his first captaincy year!

George Bailey (2014)

George Bailey – Kings XI Punjab

Aggressive and fearless, it has been Punjab’s only final appearance so far.

Kane Williamson (2018)

Kane Williamson—SRH

Classic, calm, and classy captaincy, reached the final despite missing David Warner.

Hardik Pandya (2022)

Hardik Pandya – Gujarat Titans

Debut captain + debut team = IPL win!  Mature tactics with all-round dominance.

Pat Cummins (2024)

Pat Cummins – SRH

Power-packed leadership from the Aussie star and balanced aggression & calm – finalist in debut!

Rajat Patidar (2025)

Rajat Patidar – RCB

Surprise package of the season! Can he break RCB’s final curse?

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