Cricket is often considered a religion in India, and its captains are revered more by fans than any other country. In test cricket, Indian captains have played a role in building the team and defining its identity and fortunes. This article views the Top 10 Indian Captains with the most Test wins.
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is the most successful captain with 65 wins from 95 matches with a win percentage of 70%. He has led Team India on several occasions to victory. Kohli has not lost a test match till now at home and won 14 away test matches. He is the highest run-getter as captain in Test Cricket and has the most double centuries as captain. His most famous wins include the series win in Australia 2019 and the first-ever international test championship final against New Zealand.
2. MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni has won 110 matches out of 200 in Tests and is the second-most successful captain, just behind Virat Kohli. He is known for his presence of mind behind the wicket and calmness in tense situations, earning the moniker Captain Cool. He has a win percentage of 45%. He has won 21 Test matches at home and six away. As wicketkeeper, Dhoni has taken 256 catches and 34 stumpings in Tests.
3. Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly is one of the most successful captains, with 21 Test wins and a win percentage of over 40. He is a tactical captain who got the best out of his team and played a massive role in most of the test wins by India, especially against Australia in 2001. Sourav is responsible for introducing some of the greatest players Indian cricket has ever seen.
4. Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid, as captain, has won 42 Test matches, with a win percentage 56%. He is one of India’s most revolutionary captains, as he was appointed when the team was in turmoil after they sacked their head coach. Rahul made the team invincible in Tests in 2007-2008, paving the way for a historic win in South Africa and against England.
5. Anil Kumble
During the absence of Dravid from the captaincy spot due to retirement, Anil Kumble stepped into captaincy. He is a great captain, as he managed to get his best out of the team and take them to a test win against Australia in Perth, with Virender Sehwag in his finest form in that series, as a result of Kumble trusting in the batter, despite poor performances throughout the year, and a series win over Pakistan in 2007. Kumble won three times and drew six times in 14 tests. He ranks on this list because even over 30 years old, he led his side to a series victory against Australia and Pakistan when the team was out of form.
6. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma is currently the Test captain for the World Test Championship 2023. He has a decent test captaincy record, with a 222 run-record, thrashing Sri Lanka in his first match as captain. Rohit has racked up 3 test wins since 2022 with zero losses. At 34 years old, he is the fourth-oldest cricketer to take up the captaincy mantle.
7. Ajinkya Rahane
In 2017 Ajinkya Rahane captained the Indian team against Australia without captain Virat Kohli due to injury. He won the first-ever series against Afghanistan after they achieved test recognition and against Australia in 2017. He is famously known for India’s comeback after getting all out for 36 runs and the Gabba Miracle of 2021.
8. Mohammad Azharuddin
Mohammad Azharuddin was a very successful captain early on in Test Cricket. He won 14 matches and drew fourteen. He had a win percentage of 29.78. His famous victories include a series against New Zealand in 1993-94 and Pakistan in 1988-89. His highest score is 193 against New Zealand, his highest away from home.
9. Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar, one of the most elegant batters in international cricket, has a mixed record in test captaincy. He has notably led India to its first series win in 1986 in England, winning two games and drawing two. His highest test score is 256, not out which was the highest test score by a captain back then.
10. Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev, one of the greatest all-rounders cricket has ever seen, seems decent in Test Captaincy. Since the captaincy went to Kapil Dev in 1983, he led his side to the 1983 World Cup, winning it by defeating West Indies in the final. Kapil had won 9 matches and drew thirty in tests. He had the best bowling figures in the 1980s, 9/83 against West Indies. Kapil Dev was a great captain who led the team when nobody expected India to win anything. He instilled the importance of Indian Captains.
