Cricket is a sport having great popularity in the world.The craze for this sport among the fans as well as the players is tremendous.This sport consists of three formats viz Test,One Day International(ODI) and t20 International.The test is the oldest format of this game while the t20 international is the latest format.In One Day International matches both the sides are given 50 overs each to play.The team batting first sets a certain target for the team which bats second and if the second team is able to chase the target then they are declared as the winners else the first team is declared as the winner.The famous ICC events i.e the ICC Cricket World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy are based on the One Day International format.This is a tough format for both batsmen and the bowler.But,cricket mostly tests the captains of the team.The victory or defeat of a team mostly depends on the decisions made by the captain.A captain needs to make sound decisions and must be able to handle the pressure with ease in order to lead his team towards the road of victory.Here is the list of 5 most successful captains in the history of One Day International cricket:-
1.Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting(40) is a former Australian cricketer who led the Australian One Day International cricket team between 2002 and 2011.This era was known as the ‘golden era’ for the Australian Cricket team.He is a right-handed batsman and the most successful captain in the history of One Day International Cricket.He was the captain of the Australian One Day squad in 230 matches out of which he won 165 matches.He had the policy to win “either by hook or by crook”.Under the captaincy of this legend the Australian team also won the 2003 and the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cups.
2.Allan Border
Allan Border(59) is a former Australian Cricketer and was the captain of the Australian One Day International team from 1985 to 1994.He was a left-handed batsman and also a part-time left arm orthodox spinner.The Australian team played 176 matches under the captaincy of Allan Border out of which they won 107 matches.The Australian cricket team also won its first ICC Cricket World Cup in 1987 under the captaincy of Allan Border.He was one of the most dangerous batsmen of his period.He is the second best One Day International Captain in the history of cricket.
3.Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni(34) is a former Indian test player and the current captain of the Indian One Day International squad.He is leading the Indian One Day team since 2007.He is considered as the most successful Indian Captain in both Test and One Day International Cricket.Besides being the captain of the Indian One Day squad,Mahendra Singh Dhoni also plays the role of wicket-keeper.He is a right-handed middle-order batsman.Mahendra Singh Dhoni is also one of the best finishers in the world.He has led his team in team in 177 matches as of now and won 100 matches out of them and is still going strong.He has the talent of staying cool in pressure situations and hence he is also known as “Captain Cool”.The Indian cricket team won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.He is currently the third most successful captain in the One Day International history.
4.Hansie Cronje
Hansie Cronje(32) was a South African cricketer who captained the team in the 90s.Hansie Cronje was an allrounder.He was a right-handed batsman as well as a right-arm medium pacer.He led the South African One Day International squad for 138 matches out of which they won 99 matches.Hansie Cronje was held guilty for being involved in a match-fixing scandal due to which he suffered a lifetime ban as coach or as a player.Hansie is still the fourth most successful captain in the history of One Day International cricket.In 2002,Hansie died in an airplane crash.
5.Stephen Fleming
Stephen Fleming(42) is a former New Zealand cricketer who led the New Zealand One Day International team between 1997 and 2007.He was a left-handed batsman.He is remembered for his captaincy as well as batting skills.The New Zealand One Day International team played 218 matches out of which they won 98 matches.Stephen Fleming also holds the record for being the most capped One Day International captain for New Zealand.Under the captaincy of Stephen Fleming,the New Zealand One Day squad won the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy.He is the fifth most successful captain in the history of One Day International cricket.