Who is the most successful captain in Indian cricket history?

List of Most Successful Captain in Indian Cricket History 

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10. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (22.5%)

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi is the 10th most successful captain in India. The Nawab of Pataudi as he was fondly called was a great captain and his stats do not do justice to the talent he possessed. He took over the leadership role in 1962 when he was only 21 years of age. He captained India at a tumultuous time. Personally, Pataudi had been involved in a car accident months before he became the captain that impaired his eyesight. Before getting the captaincy of the Indian team, Pataudi had only played three tests and scored a century and half-century in those. 

However, dealing with the extra pressure of captaincy and the recent loss of sight in the right eye meant that he struggled in the initial matches. In a three-match series against the West Indies, he scored only 114 runs and lost all the matches. The poor continued at home as well in a series against England for the first three games. However, in his seventh game in charge, Pataudi registered his highest test score of 203*. Under his leadership, India won their first overseas test in New Zealand in 1968. 

9. Sunil Gavaskar (27.38%)

Sunil Gavaskar is the 9th most successful captain in India. The former Indian batter is often remembered for his batting and how he was the first of many batting superstars from the country. Gavaskar captained India in 84 games across tests and ODIs winning 23 of them. In tests, he was the greatest batter of his time. With 34 centuries to his name, Sunny held the record for most hundreds in the format before Sachin Tendulkar overtook him.

However, his batting alone wasn’t enough to guarantee a win for the Indian cricket team. In 47 matches, Gavaskar captained, India won only nine games. Under his own leadership, the right-handed batter scored 3,449 at an average of slightly more than 50. While the former skipper could not win matches on his own, he drew a lot of matches and avoided loss multiple times.

In ODIs, the extra pressure of captaincy took a toll on the Little Master’s batting. In 37 matches, he scored only 702 runs at an average of 26. However, unlike in test cricket where his batting could not get the win for his team, in ODIs, the team performed better despite his poor batting performance. Gavaskar captained the team before Kapil Dev but could not get the same results and was replaced a few months before the 1983 World Cup. After the World Cup, he captained the Indian team for two more years where the team performed much better than his first stint.

8. Sachin Tendulkar (27.55%)

Sachin Tendulkar is the 8th most successful captain in India. Tendulkar is considered by many as the greatest player of all time to play the sport. The former right-handed batter created multiple records some of which might remain unbroken for the foreseeable future. However, if there was anywhere where the ‘Master Blaster’ failed it was leading the Indian side. In 98 matches under Tendulkar’s leadership, India won only 27 matches. 

In tests, the right-handed batter captained for 25 matches winning only four of them. In ODIs, the Indian team won 23 of the 73 games where Tendulkar was the captain. In his first two tests as the captain, India won against Australia and South Africa in spite of Tendulkar only scoring 59 runs across four innings. His third win came in his fourth match as the captain however, Tendulkar was yet to fire with the bat. In lost series in South Africa and the West Indies in his first assignment as a captain on away tours. The right-handed batter retained form but the wins remained limited and was soon replaced by Sourav Ganguly.

In ODIs, like his idol, Gavaskar, Tendulkar too could not cope with the pressure of captaincy. In 73 matches as the captain, he the former batter could score only 2,454 at an average of 37.75 as opposed to 46.16 when he was not leading the side. In his first three matches as the captain of the ODI team, he won only won game against Zimbabwe and lost to Sri Lanka and Australia. A 3-2 loss to Pakistan in the following series meant that Tendulkar’s captaincy stint began on a sour note. The Indian team under his leadership performed better in ODIs in comparison to tests. However, Tendulkar as a batter struggled massively in the 50-over format.

7. Kapil Dev (39.81%)

Kapil Dev is the 7th most successful captain in India. The Haryana Hurricane in 1983 became the first Indian skipper to win an ICC trophy. He still remains one of only three skippers to win a World Cup trophy for India with MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. Kapil captained India in 108 matches winning 43 of them. Kapil started his test captaincy stint with the most difficult tour of that time. 

The Indian team under Kapil’s captaincy toured the West Indies for a five-match series and walked away with a 2-0 loss. Against the same opposition in a six-match series at home, Kapil’s India lost 3-0. Before getting his first win in test cricket, Kapil had drawn a three-match series against Australia in Australia. Kapil had to wait for his first win but the patience was made worthwhile as India won their second series in England. Under his leadership, India won only four of 34 tests.

In ODIs, the bowling all-rounder did what many thought was unthinkable. Kapil won the World Cup after having only an experience of seven games before the tournament began. In the 1983 World Cup, Kapil’s India defeated the West Indies twice, Zimbabwe twice, Australia, and England in the semi-finals. Kapil led from the front scoring 303 runs in eight matches including the historic knock of 175* when India had lost five wickets for 17 runs. With the ball in hand, Kapil took 12 wickets in the tournament. Under Kapil’s leadership, India won 39 matches out of 74 in ODIs.

6. Mohammad Azharuddin (47.05%)

Mohammad Azharuddin is the 6th most successful captain in India. While Azharuddin enjoyed a lot of success as the Indian skipper his image remained tarnished thanks to the match-fixing allegations. Barring the allegations, Azharuddin had an impeccable record both as a batter and captain of the Indian team.

Azharuddin is the second-most experienced Indian captain having led the team in 221 matches. His first two test series resulted in a 1-0 loss each in New Zealand and England. His next assignment was a one-off test against Sri Lanka which India won. A five-match tour to Australia resulted in a 4-0 loss. In five matches against Zimbabwe and South Africa away from home, Azhar’s India only lost one match. However, at home Indian team had become a fortress under his leadership. They whitewashed England and Sri Lanka at home. Azhar won 14 matches in tests as the skipper.

In ODIs, Azharuddin captained India for a longer duration. As the ODI skipper, India won a two-match series in England with the middle-order batter being named the Player of the Series. He captained India in the 1992 World Cup in Australia where they won only two games against Pakistan and Zimbabwe each before crashing out in the group stage. In the 1996 World Cup, India performed much better but unfortunately lost in the semi-final against the eventual champions, Sri Lanka. Under Azhar’s leadership, India played 174 ODI matches winning 90 of them.

5. Rahul Dravid (48.07%)

Rahul Dravid is the 5th most successful captain in India. Often he was the unsung hero of the Indian team. He took charge of the team in a problematic period. Dravid had replaced Sourav Ganguly as the captain who was axed rather unceremoniously. He had captained the team a few times before accepting the job full-time in the absence of Ganguly. He led India in two matches in Pakistan in 2004 when India won the three-match series.

In his first assignment as the full-time test captain, India lost the series against Pakistan in 2006. Rahul also led the Indian team to victory in the West Indies in 2006 for the first time after 1970/71. However, the biggest highlight of Dravid’s stint as the captain of the test team came in 2007 in England. In spite of only scoring 126 runs in three matches, the right-handed batter led the team to a series victory. In 25 tests under Dravid, the Indian team won eight games.

In ODIs, Dravid, the captain was the lowest ebb in the history of Indian cricket. Under his leadership, the Indian team was knocked out of the group stages of the 2007 ODI World Cup. This was not a weak team, multiple players were part of the team that reached the final in 2003 or won the tournament in 2011. India lost to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the group stage of the tournament. However, the Indian team’s coach, Greg Chappell was painted as the man responsible for the disastrous tournament. Meanwhile, before the tournament, Dravid enjoyed great success initially and at one stage had won 17 out of 22 games. Under his captaincy, India played 79 ODIs and won 42 of them.

Also read: Sachin Tendulkar 100 Centuries List

4. Sourav Ganguly (49.74%)

Sourav Ganguly is the 4th most successful captain in India. Ganguly possibly made the most impact as the captain of the team despite not winning any trophy. Before his captaincy, the Indian team had a tendency to fold like a pack of cards in overseas matches. But when Ganguly became the captain of the Indian team, the ‘Men in Blue’ went head-to-head against the best teams in their own yard. Under Ganguly’s leadership, India might not have won any ICC trophy but he paved the way for players who went on to shape Indian cricket in the future. These players played an essential role in winning the T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ODI World Cup in 2011.

In his third test series as the captain of India, they hosted the Australian team in 2001. This was the same Australian team that had won 15 tests in a row and started with a win in Wankhede. A historic performance in Ganguly’s den, Eden Gardens saw India win the match after being asked to follow on. The series was sealed with a win in Chennai. He lost a three-match series in Sri Lanka by 2-1 before losing in South Africa by 1-0. India returned to winning ways at home against England and Zimbabwe. Under his captaincy, India drew a series in England in 2002.

In Australia in 2003/04, Ganguly scored a gritty century in Brisbane helping draw the test. In Adelaide, India took the lead before losing the Boxing Day test in Melbourne. India drew the series for the first time since 1985/86. Under Ganguly’s captaincy, India played 49 tests winning 21 of them.

In ODIs, Ganguly’s biggest achievements were winning the NatWest Trophy in England in 2002 and reaching the final in 2003. In 2002, the Prince of Kolkata won the series with an inexperienced squad consisting of players including the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, and Zaheer Khan. In the 2003 World Cup, the decision to make Rahul Dravid the keeper improved the balance of the team and helped in reach the final where they lost to Australia. Under his captaincy, India 76 of 146 ODIs.

3. MS Dhoni (53.61%)

MS Dhoni is the 3rd most successful captain in India, for many Dhoni is the most important figure in Indian cricket’s history. Under his leadership, India won three ICC titles, which all the other captains combined have not done. While the Indian team was never short of talent they sometimes lacked a leader who could outthink the opposition’s captain in high-pressure situations.

In test cricket, the Indian team under Dhoni had very little to write about. They were a formidable team at home before losing to England in 2012. Away from home, India was whitewashed in England and Australia in the same season. Dhoni captained India in 60 tests and won 27 of them.

In ODIs, Dhoni did what millions of fans were waiting for decades. The Ranchi-born skipper brought the World Cup trophy back to India after 28 years when he won it with some style at the Wankhede Stadium in 2011. With a highly inexperienced squad, Dhoni won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013, defeating England in the final at their home. His ability to remain calm under high-pressure game situations can not be overstated. He captained India in 200 ODIs winning 110 of them.

Dhoni received the captaincy of the T20I team before the inaugural World Cup in 2007. He had never captained India in any format before. That did not stop Dhoni from becoming the champions. They defeated every favorite and arch-rival, Pakistan twice including once in the final. India needed to defend six runs off four balls when Dhoni had a chat with his inexperienced bowler, Joginder Sharma. Sharma dismissed Misbah ul Haq on the very next ball to win the tournament. In T20Is, the biggest highlight under Dhoni remained the 2007 T20 World Cup. He captained India in 72 matches in the format and ended up on the winning side on 41 occasions.

2. Virat Kohli (63.38%)

Virat Kohli is the 2nd most successful captain in India. However, Kohli too like some of his peers managed to do the unthinkable a few times while captaining the team. Under his leadership, India never lost a test series at home and created the record for being undefeated in consecutive series at home. But the biggest highlight of his career as the skipper came in Australia.

Under Kohli, India won the first test series in Australia by any Asian team in 2018/19. His team achieved the feat again in 2020/21 even though Kohli himself was not part of the team for the last three tests. Like Ganguly, Kohli brought in a change of mentality among the players who now competed equally with teams away from home. For the first time in the history of the Indian cricket team, the fast bowlers took centre stage. Kohli captained India in 68 tests and won 40 of them.

In ODIs, Kohli’s batting often overshadowed his leadership skills. The Indian run machine is arguably the greatest ODI batter of all time and even holds the record for scoring the most centuries in the format. As the captain of the Indian team, Kohli led India to the final of the Champions Trophy in 2017 and the semi-final of the ODI World Cup in 2019. However, on both occasions top-order batting collapse stole the opportunity to win the trophy. Under his captaincy, India won 65 ODIs from 95 games.

Kohli’s captaincy in T20Is was similar to his captaincy in ODIs. His batting performances overshadowed captaincy performances. He led the Indian team in a solitary World Cup in the format in 2021. For the first time in their history, the Men in Blue lost to Pakistan in a World Cup under Kohli’s captaincy which remained possibly the lowest point in his captaincy career. Kohli captained India in 50 T20Is and won 30 of them.

1. Rohit Sharma (71.42%)

Rohit Sharma is the most successful captain in India. The right-handed opening batter has a win percentage of 71.42 which is the best among players who captained in at least 20 matches. However, among some great moments, the Indian team under Rohit has also suffered some tough defeats including a whitewash against New Zealand at home.

In tests, Rohit has captained India in 23 matches winning only 12 of them. His captaincy in the format has come under criticism for a while and is considered to be too defensive. The Indian team’s 12-year unbeaten run at home ended under his captaincy with an infamous 3-0 loss to New Zealand.

In ODIs, Rohit came pretty close to what Dhoni and Kapil Dev had achieved for the country. In 2023, the Indian team under his leadership reached the finals of the ODI World Cup after winning 10 matches in a row. He was the second-highest run scorer in the tournament with 597 runs at a strike rate of 126 only behind Virat Kohli’s 765 runs. However, they lost against Australia in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Rohit has led India in 28 games so far and won 34 matches.

Rohit’s captaincy has been the most successful in T20Is. He is the first captain to lead a team to win the tournament without losing a single game throughout the tournament. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, the Indian team won the tournament after defeating South Africa in the final. Rohit led India in 62 matches and won 49 of them.

Most Successful Indian Captain in ODI

Rohit Sharma is the most successful captain in India in ODIs with a win percentage of 70.83. Rohit has led India in 48 matches in the format and has been on the winning side in 34 games. Virat Kohli follows him on the list with a win percentage of 68.42. MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, and Kapil Dev make the top five on the list.

Most Successful Indian Captain in Test

Virat Kohli is the most successful captain in India in test cricket. Under his captaincy, India won 40 matches out of 68 boasting a win percentage of 58.82. Kohli led India to a historic series win in Australia not once but twice.

Rohit Sharma follows him on the list with a win percentage of 52.17. Both Kohli and Rohit are the only two Indian skippers to have a win percentage of more than 50% in the format. Dhoni, Ganguly, and Dravid rank third, fourth, and fifth respectively.

Most Successful Indian Captain in T20I

Rohit Sharma is the most successful captain in India in T20Is. The 2024 World Cup-winning skipper has won 49 matches out of the 62 in which he has captained. The current Indian skipper, Suryakumar Yadav is ranked second on the list with a win percentage of 76.47.