Most successful IPL captains in close matches

The Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) is in its final stages with just two matches remaining in the tournament. In the 72 games that have taken place in the season so far, fans have witnessed several edge-of-the-seat thrillers that left no stone unturned to leave them entertained.

Over the years, the IPL has seen countless close matches that left captains tearing their hair out. Winning such close games requires special efforts from skippers, as it puts them under stern tests and only those who can withstand extreme pressure often come out on top as winners.

Here are three captains in the history of IPL who’ve been most successful in winning tied matches:

3. Virat Kohli

While Virat Kohli may not be counted amongst the greatest captains in IPL history, he makes it to this list, having guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to two victories in tied fixtures out of three games. The star batter led his team from the front almost every season and even brought them to the cusp of a maiden title victory in 2016. However, a dramatic collapse saw RCB lose the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as their long wait for an IPL title continued.

2. Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer is known to be one of the most underrated captains in IPL history. He guided Delhi Capitals (DC) to their first-ever final in 2020 and later ended a ten-year title drought for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) under his leadership in 2024. He later also took Punjab Kings to a final after 11 years in 2025, but unfortunately missed out on winning the title, losing by six runs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Iyer has a brilliant record in tied games, having guided his team to victories both times and possessing a 100% record.

1. Kumar Sangakkara

The legendary Sri Lanka batter also finds his name in the list, despite having last played the tournament in 2013. Sangakkara led Punjab Kings, Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in his career and has won both the tied games in the super over as captain, having a 100% success rate in the close fixtures.