The Indian Cricket Team has been captained by several notable cricketers over the decades. CK Nayudu led India in their first international cricket match on December 15, 1933, at the Gymkhana Ground in Bombay during England’s tour of India. Vijay Hazare captained India to their first Test victory in a home series against England in 1952. Ajit Wadekar led India in their first-ever ODI in 1974 against England.
Rohit Sharma is currently the captain in Test and ODI cricket. He succeeded from Virat Kohli, who earlier took over the captaincy from MS Dhoni, who had succeeded Sourav Ganguly.
Take a look at a list of India’s last 10 captains who have led in a minimum of 15 matches.
Indian Cricket Team Captain List with Year
Captain | Year |
Rohit Sharma | 2022 to present |
Hardik Pandya | 2022, 2023 |
Virat Kohli | 2015 to 2022 |
MS Dhoni | 2007 to 2018 |
Sourav Ganguly | 1999 to 2005 |
Rahul Dravid | 2005 to 2007 |
Sachin Tendulkar | 1996 to 2000 |
Mohammad Azharuddin | 1989 to 1996 |
Kapil Dev | 1982 to 1992 |
1. Rohit Sharma
In February 2022, Rohit Sharma was named India’s Test captain, taking over from Virat Kohli. Just a couple of months earlier, in December 2021, he had been appointed the captain for India’s limited-overs formats. Rohit Sharma became the second Indian captain after MS Dhoni to win a T20 World Cup, leading the team to victory in the 2024 tournament.
He has led India in 122 matches across all formats, securing 93 wins and 26 losses, with two draws and two no-results. In Test cricket, Rohit has captained 16 matches, winning nine and losing four, which translates to a win percentage of 62.50. In T20 internationals, he has an outstanding record with 62 matches under his belt, 49 victories, and only 12 losses, giving him a win percentage of 79.03. In ODIs, Rohit has captained India in 45 matches, achieving 34 wins and 10 losses, boasting a win percentage of 75.55.
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2. Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya is speculated to become India’s full-time T20I captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format. Pandya brings considerable leadership experience, having previously captained the Indian T20I team.
In his 16 matches as T20I captain, Pandya has secured 10 wins and suffered five losses, boasting a win percentage of 62.50. He has also led India in ODIs and T20Is, achieving a combined win record of 63.15% with 12 victories in 19 games. His leadership skills make him a strong candidate for the captaincy role.
3. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli took over India’s Test captaincy from MS Dhoni in 2015 and became the white-ball captain in 2017. Leading the team from 2014 to 2022, Kohli guided India to several significant achievements, including being the first Asian team to win a series in Australia and reaching the top of the rankings in all formats.
Kohli captained India in 213 matches across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, securing 135 victories and 60 losses. In Tests, he led the team in 68 matches, winning 40 and losing 17, boasting the best win percentage among captains with over 10 matches. In ODIs, Kohli led in 95 matches, winning 65 and losing 27, including a semi-final appearance in the 2019 World Cup. In T20Is, he captained 50 matches, achieving 30 victories and 16 losses.
4. MS Dhoni
In 2007, MS Dhoni became captain of the Indian team and led all formats from 2008. Under his leadership, India won the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy.
He is India’s second most successful Test captain, with 27 wins, 18 losses, and 15 draws in 60 matches, boasting a win percentage of 45. In ODIs, he is India’s most successful captain, leading in 200 matches with 110 wins, 74 losses, and 16 no-results. In T20Is, Dhoni captained 72 matches, achieving 41 wins, 28 losses, and 3 ties or no-results, making him one of India’s most successful captains in the Indian cricket team captain list.
5. Sourav Ganguly
Regarded as one of the greatest captains, Sourav Ganguly led the Indian team to victory in the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy and took the team to the finals of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy, and the 2004 Asia Cup. He captained India in 49 Test matches, achieving 21 wins, 13 losses, and 15 draws, with a win percentage of 42.85, making him one of India’s most successful captains.
In 2001, under Ganguly’s leadership, India defeated Australia 2-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The series included a historic comeback in the second Test at Kolkata, where VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid’s performances led India to one of its greatest Test victories.
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6. Rahul Dravid
The fallout between Sourav Ganguly and Greg Chappell was bitter, leading to Ganguly’s removal as captain. Rahul Dravid stepped in as captain and made things better. Under Dravid’s leadership, India achieved significant overseas wins. He captained India in 20 Tests and 62 ODIs, winning 8 out of 25 Test matches and 42 out of 79 ODIs. Overall, in 104 matches as captain, Dravid secured 50 wins, 39 losses, and 11 draws, stabilizing the team during a challenging period.
7. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar had two stints as the captain of the Indian cricket team, but neither was particularly successful. He first became captain in 1996. During his tenure, Tendulkar led India in 25 Test matches, winning just four and losing nine. In ODIs, he captained the team in 73 matches, securing 23 wins and facing 43 losses. His time as captain was relatively brief and didn’t yield the expected results.
8. Mohammad Azharuddin
In 1989, Mohammad Azharuddin became the captain of the Indian team, taking over from Krishnamachari Srikkanth. He led India in 47 Test matches, securing 14 wins, and in 174 One Day Internationals, achieving 90 victories. Over his career, Azharuddin scored more than 6,000 runs in Test cricket and over 9,000 runs in ODIs, with 22 Test centuries and 7 ODI hundreds to his name.
9. Dilip Vengsarkar
Dilip Vengsarkar took over the Indian cricket team captaincy from Kapil Dev after the 1987 Cricket World Cup. His tenure was marked by turbulence, including a poor tour of the West Indies in early 1989 and conflicts with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which eventually cost him the captaincy. Vengsarkar led India in 10 Test matches, winning two, losing five, and drawing three. In ODIs, he captained the team in 18 matches, achieving eight wins and suffering 10 losses.
10. Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev’s captaincy for India saw him lead in 34 Test matches, winning 4, losing 7, and drawing 22, with one match tied. One of his major achievements was leading India to its first Test series victory in England in 1986.
Kapil Dev also holds the distinction of being the only captain to take 9 wickets in an innings, achieved against a formidable West Indies team in Ahmedabad during the 1983/84 series (9/83).
In ODIs, Kapil Dev led in 74 matches, winning 39 and losing 33, and he captained India to their historic 1983 World Cup triumph.
Conclusion
All of these captains had their shares of highs and lows but the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni is widely regarded as the two most successful captaincy tenures in Indian cricket.
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FAQs about Captains of Indian Cricket
Q) What is MS Dhoni’s win percentage in ODI cricket?
A) MS Dhoni’s win percentage in ODIs as captain is 59.52%. He won 110 out of 200 matches he captained.
Q) How many ICC trophies did MS Dhoni win?
A) MS Dhoni led India to victory in three ICC trophies – 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.
Q) Who was India’s first ever captain?
A) CK Nayudu was India’s first-ever captain. He led India in their first international cricket match on December 15, 1933, against England at the Gymkhana Ground in Bombay.
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