MS Dhoni, CSK kicked aside as Manoj Tiwary names best IPL captain and team

Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has revealed his personal list of all-time favorites and bests in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). From match-winners to game-changers and history makers, Manoj Tiwary picked legends who left a great impact on the IPL’s legacy with unforgettable performances, but his choices are sure to spark a debate.

As expected, the former Indian batter has overlooked Chennai Super Kings completely in his picks on Cricbuzz. When it comes to the best-ever IPL batter, Tiwary didn’t hesitate to crown Virat Kohli. With an incredible record of scoring 400+ runs in 11 different seasons, Kohli’s reliability at the top of the order has been just unmatched since the start of the season.

Manoj Tiwary ignores MS Dhoni and picks Rohit Sharma as the best ever IPL captain

His dominance across formats at the highest level is well-known, but his IPL legacy is also just incredible, and Tiwary believes no one has touched that level of brilliance across so many editions. Well, the captaincy debate is always fierce, but Tiwary was sure about his choice, and as expected, he picked Rohit Sharma over MS Dhoni.

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Notably, both MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have won five IPL titles, the most by any captain. On being asked about the best-ever IPL knock, Tiwary recalled Virender Sehwag’s explosive 122-run knock against Chennai Super Kings in the 2014 IPL Qualifier.

It wasn’t just a masterclass in power-hitting; it knocked out one of the IPL’s strongest teams, CSK, and paved the way for Punjab’s final qualification.

Read Also: India players to leave for England in between IPL 2025; BCCI begins logistics

Manoj Tiwary reveals his best ever IPL match

As for the best ever IPL match, Tiwary said, “See, the best ever IPL match for me would be my year, which was 2012, when KKR won the title for the first time. There was so much pressure on KKR to win the title, and I was fortunate enough to contribute as a batter in the final.”

Meanwhile, Manoj Tiwary picked Lasith Malinga as the most difficult bowler he faced in the IPL. His lethal yorkers and pinpoint accuracy made him almost unplayable during his peak. When it comes to picking the best team ever in IPL history, Tiwary again looked back at 2012.

In the 2012 season, Kolkata Knight Riders made a comeback no one expected and went on to lift the trophy. Tiwary said, “I think for me, KKR 2012, because of the way we came back in the tournament and the way we ended up being a champion, it was, in my opinion, the best team in IPL.”

Manoj Tiwary picks Sunil Narine as the best-ever IPL bowler

On being asked to pick the best-ever IPL bowler, Sunil Narine got the nod. Tiwary, having witnessed Narine’s magic up close while playing together for KKR, praised the mystery spinner for his longevity and skill, which continue to puzzle batters even in the ongoing IPL 2025 season.

Tiwary signed off by saying, “I would go with Sunil Narine because I have seen very closely how he has performed over the years, for so many years, and till now, he's still going strong, so I would pick Sunil Narine.”

Read Also: CSK sign up 'India's Fastest T20 Centurion' Urvil Patel as injury replacement for IPL 2025

#CSK or #MI, NOT the best #IPL team? 🤔@TiwaryManoj reveals 🫣 pic.twitter.com/SYmojXQx5u

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) May 5, 2025