Top 5 most successful Indian captains in international cricket

C. K. Nayudu was the first Indian captain in international cricket.

The Indian Cricket Team has seen many ups and downs throughout their history, and dozens of men have led the side with varying success.

Over the years, India have had different captains with different styles—some have been very successful, while others have struggled in the role.

On that note, let’s take a look at the top five most successful Indian captains in international cricket.

Top five most successful Indian captains in international cricket:

5. Sourav Ganguly – 97 wins

Sourav Ganguly is credited for transforming the Indian team in the early 2000s. As captain, he led India to 97 wins in 195 international matches with a win-loss ratio of 1.243.

He led India to several memorable wins, including the 2002 NatWest Trophy in England and the famous 2-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win at home in 2001.

The most heartbreaking loss of his captaincy era came in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup final, where his team lost to Australia by 125 runs.

4. Rohit Sharma – 98 wins

Rohit Sharma has led India to 98 wins in 138 games with a win-loss ratio of 2.939.

Appointed as the full-time captain in 2022, Rohit has been excellent in limited-overs cricket as the skipper. He led India to the 2023 ODI World Cup final and to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

However, Rohit has faced criticism for his test captaincy, with critics pointing out his defensive tactics after India’s series losses to New Zealand and Australia in 2024/25.

3. Mohammad Azharuddin – 104 wins

Mohammad Azharuddin holds the record of captaining India across three 50-over World Cups (1992, 1996 and 1999), which is the most by any Indian captain.

Azharuddin won 104 games and lost 90 out of 221 as India’s captain, with a win-loss ratio of 1.155.

His legacy took a massive hit when his name surfaced in the match-fixing scandal in 2000, which eventually ended his international career.

2. Virat Kohli – 135 wins

Virat Kohli‘s achievements as India’s captain are often overlooked due to the team’s losses in the knockout matches of the ICC tournaments.

Kohli led India in 213 matches, winning 135 and losing on 60 occasions. He also stands as India’s most successful test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches.

Kohli led India to three consecutive ICC test maces in 2017, 2018 and 2019. India won their first-ever test series in Australia in 2018/19 under Kohli’s captaincy.

1. MS Dhoni – 178 wins

MS Dhoni is India’s most successful captain in international cricket, winning 178 out of 332 matches across formats with a win-loss ratio of 1.483.

He is the only Indian captain to win the 50-over World Cup (2011), 20-over World Cup (2007), and Champions Trophy (2013). He is hailed as India’s greatest white-ball skipper.

(All stats are updated till 12th February 2025)

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