Top 5 players with most centuries as captain in ODIs

A captain is by far, the most important player of the team. It is not an easy job and the captain should stay connected with the game, make decisions throughout the game. The game of cricket has seen some really tactical skippers who changed the results of matches with their wonderful tactics.

While decision making and tactics are definitely important responsibilities of a captain, he should also lead from the front with his performance as it will lift morale of other players. There are a lot of cricketers who play with a good hunger for runs when they stand in as captain. Through the course of this article, we take a look at five players with most centuries as captain in one-day internationals.

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#5 Sanath Jayasuriya (10)

Jayasuriya's exploits at the top helped Sri Lanka post mammoth totals on a nightly basis

The Sri Lankan legend, Sanath Jayasuriya was known for his ability to hit even the best of the bowlers for runs all around the park. With his great hand-eye coordination, he went slam-bang from the word go and took the attack early on the bowlers.

Jayasuriya featured in 445 matches and scored 13430 runs at an average of 32.36. This includes 68 fifties and 28 hundreds. The southpaw's exploits at the top helped Sri Lanka post mammoth totals on a nightly basis.

He also captained the team in ODIs from 1998-2003 and during his captaincy, Sri Lanka enjoyed a great success as a team. Jayasuriya stood in as captain in 117 matches and Sri Lanka won 65 of those matches with a win percentage of 55.5.

The Sri Lankan batsman enjoyed personal success too as a batsman as he ended up smashing 10 centuries when he played as captain of the team.

#4 Sourav Ganguly (11)

Sourav Ganguly is one of the best captains to have ever played for India

We have another Southpaw on this list. Sourav Ganguly is arguably one of the greatest captains to have ever played for India. He instilled confidence in the team and the team always played to win.

While Ganguly was known for giving a long rope to the players he believed in, which gave the players much-needed confidence and helped them deliver in key situations, he also led the team with the bat on innumerable occasions.

He played in 311 matches and accumulated 11363 runs with an average of 41.02, accompanied by 72 fifties and 22 hundreds. The team scaled newer heights in his captaincy and Ganguly knocked 11 centuries as a captain.

#3 AB de Villiers (13)

AB de Villiers is the most innovative cricketer of the modern era

AB de Villiers gets the same support on any ground that he plays. It does not really matter whether it's a home series or an away series, fans always come and cheer for the most innovative cricketer of the modern era. He plays some of the most difficult and unorthodox shots with ease and makes it look effortless.

ABD, who holds the record for fastest 50, fastest 100 and fastest 150 in the ODIs is feared even by the best of the bowlers and is a bowler's nightmare on any given day. He amassed 9577 runs at a staggering average of 53.50. This includes 53 half-centuries and 25 centuries.

During his stint as the captain of the South African team, the team enjoyed a great success and de Villiers scored 13 centuries. All of these centuries have come at a strike rate over 100 as he punished the opposition bowlers for runs all around the ground to lead the team from the front.

#2 Virat Kohli (21)

Virat Kohli is looking unstoppable from the last 5-6 years

Without a shadow of a doubt, Virat Kohli is the most popular cricketer of this generation. He is scoring runs everywhere and bowlers are having a really tough time bowling to him. In a very short span of time in international cricket, Kohli had made his mark and will definitely go down as one of the greatest cricketers of all-time.

The Indian skipper holds a lot of batting records and is currently second on the list of a number of centuries in ODIs, behind Sachin Tendulkar. It is only a matter of time before Kohli breaks almost every record set by the little master.

The Indian team is on a roll with Kohli as the captain and under his captaincy, the team has won 58 ODIs out of 80 ODIs played, with a breath-taking win percentage of 75. Kohli is playing with an added responsibility and in just 76 innings as skipper, he has scored 21 centuries and is currently second on our list.

#1 Ricky Ponting (22)

Ricky Ponting is the most successful captain of all-time

This should not really be a surprise. Ricky Ponting is the most successful ODI captain of all-time and Australian team were a force to reckon with during his time as the captain and were by far, the greatest team at that time.

Ponting captained the team in a record 230 games and the team went on to win 165 of those with an incredible win percentage of 76.14. The team put a dagger through the hearts of opposition fans everytime they stepped on the field.

He holds the record for highest runs scored as a skipper. In 220 innings as captain, the Punter scored 8497 runs at a very good average of 42.91. Ponting bludgeoned 22 hundreds as the skipper of the team and is currently the record holder for the most centuries as skipper in ODIs.