India has had some of the most successful cricket captains in history. Here are some of the most successful Indian cricket captains:
Sunil Gavaskar
In 1976, Sunil Gavaskar was named captain of the Indian Test team. In 1980, he was granted the ODI captaincy after a few years of service. During his ODI captaincy, he led the team in 38 matches, winning 14 of them for a winning ratio of 36.84 percent. Winning the global cricket championship in Australia in 1985 was one of the highlights of his leadership career.
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev is widely regarded as one of India’s greatest and most successful captains. He is one of the greatest all-rounders in Indian cricket history. He set many unbreakable records during his career, including being the only cricketer to score 5000 runs and take over 400 wickets in test cricket. He was the first captain to lead the side to victory in the historic World Cup in 1983. His captaincy began in 1982, with his first match being a trip of the West Indies. The team was victorious in the encounter. Due to his bad performance, Gavaskar was reappointed as the team’s captain in 1984.
Dev resumed his captaincy in 1985, winning the first test match against England in 1986. He played in 79 games for the squad, winning 39 of them for a winning percentage of 54.16 percent. His captaincy period was difficult because of his unreliability at times. However, statistics show that he is a better captain than a player overall.
Dilip Vengsarkar
Dilip Vengsarkar is the batsman who has earned the nickname “Colonel” for his courageous feats. In 1987, he became the captain of the Indian cricket team. His captaincy lasted only a few months, ending in 1989. He batted brilliantly in his debut series as captain, scoring two centuries, but the squad had a disastrous tour to the West Indies in early 1989, and he lost his job. In the short time he was captain, he led the club to play 18 games, winning only eight of them for a win percentage of 44.4.
Mohammad Azharuddin
In 1989, Azharuddin was named captain of the Indian cricket team. The journey to New Zealand was his maiden match. He captained the Indian team in 174 matches, winning 90 of them with a win percentage of 53.57. He is regarded as one of the best captains the Indian team has ever had, and he also held the record for the most ODI victories until MS Dhoni overtook him.
Sachin Tendulkar
In 1996, Sachin Tendulkar was appointed captain of the Indian cricket team. His superb and amazing batting skills have earned him the title of “God of Cricket” around the world. With his batting records, he dominated everyone and rose to fame and prominence. However, his career as the team’s captain was not the same as his journey as a batsman in the Indian cricket team. He captained India in 73 One-Day Internationals, winning only 23 of them. Only 35.07 percent of the time did he win. While it is true that the team at the time was not particularly strong, his captaincy was also lacking, and he was unable to lead the team to a positive result.
Sourav Ganguly
He is without a doubt one of India’s most fearless and successful captains. He took over as captain in 1999 and has never shied away from taking risks and pushing his team ahead. He frequently chose to focus the opposition’s attention to himself, allowing other players to give their all for themselves and the team. Ganguly experienced the highs and lows of the team. He accomplished an outstanding job as captain and aided players like Dhoni, Kaif, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, and Sehwag in achieving international fame. He captained his team in 146 One-Day Internationals and won 76 of them, for a winning percentage of 54.
Rahul Dravid
After Sourav Ganguly left the Indian squad in 2000, Rahul Dravid was named captain. For obvious reasons, he was dubbed “The Wall of Cricket.” The team always believed in him, whether he was captaining the team or not. The scenario was pretty murky when Dravid was enjoying the Indian team. But he gradually rebuilt the team and commanded it. Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, and Irfan Pathan were all important members of the team at the time. They assisted Dravid in winning matches and significantly improved his ODI performance. He captained the team for 79 games, winning 42 of them. He has a 56 percent winning percentage.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
“Dhoni hai to mumkin hai!”- The praise for Dhoni is entirely appropriate, considering he is one of India’s most successful captains. We’ve seen him turn games around from close calls to convincing victories. When it comes to Indian cricket, the calm captain owns numerous records and has made history. He took over as captain in 2007 and hasn’t looked back since. He is always cool and composed, whether on or off the field. As an Indian captain, Dhoni holds the record for most ODI matches played and most ODI runs scored. After Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers, he has the third best batting average as a captain. Under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, India became the number one ODI squad for the first time in 2013.
He was the one who led the team to victory in the 2011 World Cup, following Kapil Dev. Under his guidance, India won the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. He also captained the team in 200 One-Day Internationals, winning 110 of them. Furthermore, he has a 60 percent winning percentage. He is without a doubt one of the most popular and well-liked cricketers on the planet. Dhoni announced his retirement on Instagram on August 15, 2020. He played his final international match against New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup Semi-Final.
Virat Kohli
In 2008, the king of cricket made his international debut, and there has been no turning back since. He has set and broken numerous records over his 12-year cricket career, and he has been the Indian team’s captain since 2016. Kohli’s captaincy has been the subject of much discussion, but he has defied all odds with his leadership and performances. After MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, and Mohammed Azharuddin, he is India’s fourth most successful ODI skipper. Kohli is the second Indian captain with the most ODI runs after his former skipper MS Dhoni.
In addition, King Kohli owns the record for the most ODI hundreds by an Indian captain. He has captained his team in 95 One-Day Internationals and has won 65 of them, giving him a 70 percent winning percentage.
Rohit Sharma
Rohit has led India in T20Is 28 times and has a fantastic record of 24 wins and an 85.71 percent winning percentage. He has captained India in 13 One-Day Internationals, winning 11 of them. His winning percentage was 84.61 percent according to the records. In 2022, the Indian squad led by Rohit Sharma defeated the West Indies 3-0 in an ODI series. Rohit made his ODI captaincy debut against Sri Lanka in 2018, similar to his T20I captaincy debut. He has led India to two Test victories. His victory percentage was 100 percent according to his record.