A recent blind ranking challenge featuring Sanjay Bangar has sparked lively debate among cricket fans, especially supporters of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In the challenge, Bangar ranked six prominent captains from the Indian Premier League (IPL) without initially knowing their names. When the results were revealed, it showed legendary batter Virat Kohli placed fifth on the list – a decision that quickly caught the attention of fans across social media.
The challenge, conducted in a video segment with ESPNcricinfo, was designed to remove bias. Bangar was asked to rank the captains purely on leadership credentials before the identities were disclosed. Once the names were revealed, the list created plenty of conversation about the legacy and achievements of some of the IPL’s most successful captains.
Sanjay Bangar’s blind ranking of IPL captains
At the end of the challenge, Bangar’s final ranking placed MS Dhoni at the top, followed by Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir. Shreyas Iyer secured the fourth position, while Kohli finished fifth and Hardik Pandya came sixth.
The full ranking looked like this:
- MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)
- Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)
- Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata Knight Riders)
- Shreyas Iyer (Delhi Capitals / Kolkata Knight Riders / Punjab Kings)
- Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
- Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians / Gujarat Titans)
For many fans, the top three were hardly surprising. Dhoni’s leadership with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has long been considered the gold standard in IPL history. Under his captaincy, CSK lifted the IPL trophy five times – in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023. Dhoni also holds the record for the most wins as captain in IPL history, with 133 victories from 226 matches and an impressive win percentage of nearly 59.
Rohit Sharma, who led Mumbai Indians (MI) to five IPL titles between 2013 and 2020, was ranked second. His ability to guide Mumbai through pressure situations and deliver results in knockout matches played a major role in building one of the most successful dynasties in IPL history.
Gautam Gambhir secured the third position thanks to his transformative leadership with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Under Gambhir’s captaincy, KKR won their first two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, turning the franchise into a serious contender after years of struggles.
Why Virat Kohli was placed fifth by the ex-RCB coach?
The most talked-about part of Bangar’s ranking, however, was Kohli’s placement at No. 5. While Kohli remains one of the greatest batters in IPL history, his captaincy record with Royal Challengers Bengaluru has often been debated.
Kohli led RCB in 143 matches between 2011 and 2023, winning 66 games and losing 70. His overall win percentage as captain stands at around 46.15, which is significantly lower than several other successful IPL captains.
Despite having some of the most explosive batting lineups during his tenure – including players like AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle – RCB managed to reach only one final under Kohli’s leadership. That came in the 2016 season, where they narrowly lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Bangar, who previously worked with RCB as head coach before the IPL 2022 season, would have seen firsthand the challenges the team faced during those years.
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Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer’s fourth-place ranking reflected his impressive captaincy record across multiple franchises. He led Delhi Capitals (DC) to their first-ever IPL final in 2020, guided KKR to the IPL 2024 title, and later took Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the final in his first season with the franchise. His win percentage of over 55 percent further strengthens his case as one of the league’s most effective captains.
Hardik Pandya, placed sixth, remains an interesting case. He led Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in their debut season in 2022 and reached another final in 2023. However, his return to the MI camp brought mixed results, including a disappointing 2024 season where the team finished at the bottom of the table.
The debate around Kohli’s captaincy ranking comes at an interesting time for RCB. The franchise finally ended its long wait for an IPL title in 2025, winning the trophy under new captain Rajat Patidar.
Even without the captaincy, Kohli remained a crucial part of that triumph, scoring 657 runs at an average of 54.75 during the title-winning campaign. His performance reaffirmed his importance to the team as a senior batter and leader in the dressing room.
As RCB prepare to begin their IPL 2026 campaign against SRH on March 28, discussions about Kohli’s captaincy legacy are likely to continue. Whether fans agree with Bangar’s ranking or not, the conversation highlights just how closely leadership records are examined in a tournament as competitive as the IPL T20.
