Rahul Dravid Picks MS Dhoni As Greatest Captain, Ranks Him Above Kohli, Ponting And Imran

Who is the greatest captain cricket has ever seen? MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh or Imran Khan? The debate has raged among fans for years, with social media often divided over the answer. But former India captain Rahul Dravid has now revealed his pick — and it is MS Dhoni.

Dravid was recently put on the spot in a ‘winner stays on’ game and asked to choose between some of the biggest names in cricket leadership. After a series of tough calls, the former India batter eventually crowned Dhoni as his ultimate choice.

Dhoni’s credentials as captain are hard to overlook. Under his leadership, India won the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. India also became the No. 1-ranked Test team during his tenure.

Dravid had a close view of Dhoni’s leadership, having played alongside him before handing over the captaincy. Dhoni took charge of India’s ODI team after Dravid stepped down following the 2007 World Cup, where India suffered a shock group-stage exit.

Dravid’s Captaincy Choices

In a video shared by ESPNcricinfo, Dravid played the ‘winner stays on’ game, initially selecting Steve Smith over Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins, Arjuna Ranatunga, Kane Williamson, Graeme Smith, Eoin Morgan, Stephen Fleming and Michael Clarke.

When Ricky Ponting entered the contest, Dravid picked the former Australia captain over Allan Border. He then chose Steve Waugh over Ponting.

Virat Kohli was another easy choice for Dravid when his name appeared. However, Kohli eventually fell short of Imran Khan. Explaining his decision, Dravid said: “For what he did, Imran Khan.”

Dravid’s final showdown featured some of cricket’s most celebrated leaders. He ultimately picked Dhoni over Imran Khan and West Indies great Sir Clive Lloyd.

Dhoni Beats Cricket’s Greatest Leaders

Lloyd is widely regarded as one of the finest captains in cricket history. Under his leadership, the West Indies dominated world cricket and won the 1975 and 1979 World Cups.

Imran, meanwhile, led Pakistan to their only ODI World Cup triumph in 1992.

Dhoni’s record, however, remains unique. He is the only captain to have won all three major ICC limited-overs trophies — the T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup and Champions Trophy.

For Dravid, that remarkable record was enough to put the former India captain at the top of the list.