MS Dhoni vs Rohit Sharma - comparing their captaincy stats after 158 matches in the IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has become the most sought-after cricketing event yearly since its inception in 2008. While the on-field action and off-field drama have been off the charts, player comparison and debates have added to the overall IPL folklore.

Central to those have been the MS Dhoni - Rohit Sharma captaincy battles among Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI), and even the neutral fans.

The duo holds almost all the captaincy records when it comes to the IPL, with Dhoni on top for most wins with 133 and Rohit second with 87. They each have led CSK and MI to a record five IPL titles.

Dhoni and Rohit have moved on from the respective captaincies, with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Hardik Pandya taking over CSK and MI skippers last season. Nevertheless, the aura surrounding them and the legacy they have created over the years as leaders remains just the same, heading into the 2025 IPL season.

Overall, Rohit led MI in 158 matches in the IPL while Dhoni captained CSK in a remarkable 266 outings. Yet, for a fair comparison between the two, the usage of a common denominator is paramount.

Hence, let us look at Dhoni's record after 158 IPL games as captain and compare it with Rohit's at the same stage.

Overall numbers

MS Dhoni's 158th game as an IPL captain remains one of the most special for CSK fans as the side pulled off a thrilling victory in Qualifier 1 of the 2018 season against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Meanwhile, Rohit's 158th and final match as captain saw MI lose in the second qualifier of IPL 2023 to the Gujarat Titans (GT).

While Rohit has only captained MI in the IPL, Dhoni also led the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) in the 2016 season apart from leading CSK.

With that said, here is a look at the duo's win-loss numbers as captain in the IPL after 158 games at the helm.

MS Dhoni vs Rohit Sharma - Overall numbers after 158 games as captain

The above table clearly indicates a close battle between Dhoni and Rohit at the 158-match mark as captains. Despite Rohit being 20 games above 50% as captain, his winning percentage of 56.49 is slightly less than Dhoni's at 59.24.

Edge: MS Dhoni

Batting numbers

As important as Dhoni and Rohit's value as captains were, the duo's batting impact cannot be understated. Despite playing different roles in the batting order, the two legends played several match-winning knocks as captains in their IPL careers.

Considering Rohit opened the batting and Dhoni predominantly batted in the middle-order, it would make more sense to look at their impact numbers with the bat as captains to figure out who performed better.

MS Dhoni vs Rohit Sharma - Batting Numbers in 158 IPL games as captain

As accomplished as Rohit Sharma is as a T20 batter, his numbers with the bat in the IPL as captain are mediocre at best. The 37-year-old averaged only 28.07 at a strike rate of under 130 in his 158 IPL games as skipper.

The same numbers are better in team wins with an average of 35.27 and a strike rate of 134.96.

On the other hand, Dhoni epitomized leading from the front with phenomenal batting numbers in his first 158 IPL games as captain. The now-42-year-old averaged almost 42 at a strike rate of 140.28, with the numbers shooting up to an average of 47.95 and a strike rate of 153.12 in victories.

Edge: MS Dhoni

Playoff numbers

The best captains are often judged by titles and the team's performances in the knockout stages and Dhoni and Rohit are no different. While they each have five IPL titles as captains overall, the numbers after 158 games as skipper make for interesting reading.

MS Dhoni vs Rohit Sharma - Playoff records as captain

Although he was only a game away from a third title, Dhoni was still only two titles after 158 games as captain in the IPL. Meanwhile, Rohit already won five titles with MI in 158 matches as skipper, including defeating Dhoni's CSK thrice in the finals in 2013, 2015, and 2019.

Dhoni's 18 playoff matches to Rohit's 15 shows that the former led his team to the playoffs more often than the MI skipper across 158 games as captain.

Yet, Rohit boasts an outstanding winning percentage of 73.33 in the knockout stages as captain, compared to Dhoni's 61.11 percentage at the same point in their captaincy careers.

Edge: Rohit Sharma

Conclusion

It is fair to say that very little separates MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma through their first 158 games as captains in the IPL. However, the former's edge in terms of slightly better overall consistency is negated by the latter's title wins and record as captain in the playoffs.

The tie is ultimately broken by Dhoni's substantially better performance with the bat as captain, compared to Rohit.

Winner: MS Dhoni