Over the years, several legends have graced the game, but only a few have accrued the most matches as captain in WT20I history. Harmanpreet Kaur, the current Indian women’s cricket team captain, claims this record with 145 matches as captain.
Chamari Athapaththu, the Sri Lankan women’s captain, has 114 appearances as captain on the field, while Marie Bimenyimana, the Rwandan women’s team captain, has appeared 101 times as captain in WT20Is for her team. Who are the top 10 players with the most matches as captain in WT20I history? Let’s find out.
1. Harmanpreet Kaur – 145
In the 2012 Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup on 25th October 2012, 25-year-old Harmanpreet Kaur got an opportunity to lead India Women against Pakistan Women in one of the biggest tournaments in world cricket, and India Women won that match by 18 runs.
After that, Harmanpreet Kaur didn’t stop, and till now she has captained India Women 145 times in WT20Is, with 83 wins, 56 losses, and 1 tie. With her amazing record, she finds herself at the top of the list when it comes to the most matches as captain in WT20I history.
2. Chamari Athapaththu – 114
Chamari Athapaththu captained Sri Lanka Women for the first time against Pakistan on 17th January 2015 at Sharjah during the third T20I of Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan. The outcome of the match was positive for Chamari Athapaththu, as SL-W won the match by 5 wickets, and Sri Lanka also won the decider match and sealed the series 2-1.
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Till now, Chamari Athapaththu has a brilliant record of leading Sri Lanka in 114 WT20I matches, with 49 wins and 62 losses. With these numbers, she sits second on the list of the most matches as captain in WT20I history.
3. Marie Bimenyimana – 101
29-year-old Marie Diane Bimenyimana made her debut for Rwanda on 26th January 2019, in the first WT20I match of Rwanda’s tour of Nigeria. In August 2021, Marie Bimenyimana was named captain of the Rwandan women’s cricket team, replacing Sarah Uwera.
She also has a ferocious winning record as captain, with 63 wins out of 101 matches, along with 36 losses and 1 draw, and she holds a reputable position in Rwanda cricket. With this remarkable feat, she claims the third spot for the most matches as captain in WT20I history.
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4. Meg Lanning – 100
Meg Lanning got a golden opportunity on 29th January 2014 to captain Australia Women in WT20Is against England at The Oval. She was just 21 years old, and she captained AUS-W during a phase where the team was suffering from injuries. Lanning took the responsibility and scored an unbeaten 78 off 54 balls, but AUS-W lost the match by 9 wickets.
However, the youngest-ever Australian captain displayed great leadership qualities. Currently, she holds the record of captaining AUS-W in 100 matches, with 76 wins, 18 losses, and 1 draw. With this, she places herself third on the record for the most matches as captain in WT20I.
5. Heather Knight – 96
Heather Knight, a middle-order batter for the England women’s cricket team, with her blistering attacking mindset, has scored 2,553 runs in WT20Is with a strike rate of 121.39. Heather holds an amazing winning record of 71 wins, 18 losses, and 1 draw out of the 96 matches she has captained ENG-W.
Heather captained England Women for the first time against Pakistan Women at Bristol on 3rd July 2016, and England won that match by 68 runs. Her legacy is continuing.
A look at the top 10 Most Matches as Captain in WT20I History
- Harmanpreet Kaur (India) – 145 matches – 83 wins – 56 losses – 1 tie
- Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) – 114 matches – 49 wins – 62 losses – 0 draws
- Marie Diane Bimenyimana (Rwanda) – 101 matches – 63 wins – 36 losses – 0 draws
- Meg Lanning (Australia) – 100 matches – 76 wins – 18 losses – 0 draws
- Heather Knight (England) – 96 matches – 71 wins – 23 losses – 0 draws
- Naruemol Chaiwai (Thailand) – 94 matches – 65 wins – 28 losses – 0 draws
- Charlotte Edwards (England) – 93 matches – 68 wins – 23 losses – 0 draws
- Winifred Duraisingam (Malaysia) – 86 matches – 35 wins – 49 losses – 0 draws
- Laura Delany (Ireland) – 77 matches – 42 wins – 34 losses – 0 draws
- Nigar Sultana (Bangladesh) – 74 matches – 30 wins – 43 losses – 0 draws
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