'RCB would have won 3 IPL titles': Wasim Akram's bold assertion if MS Dhoni was captain of Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has been a part of the Indian Premier League since its inception in 2008, but it is one of the few teams that has not been able to win the championship. Despite making it to the IPL finals three times in the 2009 (against Deccan Chargers), 2011 (against Chennai Super Kings), and 2016 (against SunRisers Hyderabad) seasons, RCB ended up losing on all three occasions. Wasim Akram, former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, believes that if MS Dhoni had been the captain of RCB, the team would have won all three IPL titles.

RCB lacking Dhoni esque leader?

"RCB would have won 3 IPL trophies by now if MS Dhoni was their captain. They have not won a single trophy until now. They have so much support. Also, they have the world's top modern-era player, Virat, but unfortunately, they have not won. If Dhoni was at RCB, he would have helped them win the title," Dhoni told Sportskeeda during an interaction.

Moreover, Akram praised Dhoni's leadership skills and emphasised that the veteran player is adept at boosting his players' morale.

Habitutaed to captaincy

"Dhoni has a habit of captaining a team. Even Virat would have been habituated by now, but Dhoni has had this habit. He is not calm from inside, but he shows that he is calm. When players see that their captain is chilled, keeps his hand on their shoulders, players become more confident. Dhoni is someone who knows to instill confidence in his players," he added.

MS Dhoni has won four IPL titles as captain, which puts him second on the list of most successful IPL captains, behind Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma, who has five titles. In contrast, Virat Kohli, who has been with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) since the inaugural season of IPL in 2008, has yet to lift the IPL trophy.

Dhoni has led the Indian team to victory in three different ICC tournaments, making him the only Indian captain to achieve this feat.

As for RCB's current season, they are currently placed fifth in the IPL 2023 points table. In their recent match, they suffered a defeat to the Delhi Capitals.