Who Is the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team?
In this insightful article, VijayBet explores the historical journey of Indian cricket, a sport that resonates deeply with India's sporting culture, under the theme 'Who Is The Baap of IPL'. We delve into the succession of captains who have led the national team, each holding pivotal responsibilities like team selection, in-match decision-making, and setting the team's tone. Join us as we highlight notable figures and key moments in the context of 'Who is the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team?', unraveling their impact on this beloved sport.
Early Years and Test Cricket Debut
India's foray into international cricket began on June 25, 1932, under the captaincy of C. K. Nayudu. Leading the team against England at Lord's, Nayudu marked the inception of India's Test cricket journey. Over the years, captains like Vijay Hazare and Ajit Wadekar further shaped India's cricketing narrative, with milestones such as India's first Test win in 1952.
Evolution into Limited Overs Cricket
The advent of One Day Internationals (ODIs) brought new leadership challenges. Ajit Wadekar led India in its inaugural ODI in 1974, while Virender Sehwag took the helm in India's first T20 International in 2006 against South Africa.
Men's Test Cricket Leadership Journey
A roster of captains, including legends like Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, and others, defined India's Test cricket leadership. Noteworthy achievements include Kapil Dev's iconic 1983 Cricket World Cup win and Sourav Ganguly's impactful captaincy from 2000 to 2005.
MS Dhoni Era
In 2007, MS Dhoni, also called “Baap of IPL Captain”, took charge of the men's ODI and T20I teams, leading India to the inaugural World men's Twenty20 title. Dhoni's captaincy extended across formats, culminating in India's triumph in the 2011 Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
Transition to Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli, also known as the “new king of world cricket”, succeeded Dhoni as the Test captain in 2014, and later as the captain across all formats. Kohli's tenure witnessed remarkable success, including an unbeaten streak in Test matches and series wins against all Test-playing nations.
Rohit Sharma's Leadership
In a recent development, Rohit Sharma assumed the T20I captaincy in 2021, succeeding Kohli. Sharma's impact was immediate, with India whitewashing New Zealand in his first T20I series as captain. Subsequently, Sharma took over the ODI captaincy in December 2021, marking a significant transition in Indian cricket leadership.
Who is the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team?
List of Captains for the Test Match
This table provides a comprehensive overview of Indian Test cricket captains who have led the team in at least one Test match, including the span of their captaincy, the number of matches played, and the outcomes (Won, Lost, Drawn).
No. | Name | Span | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn |
| 1 | C. K. Nayudu | 1932-34 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | Maharajkumar of Vizianagram | 1936 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi | 1946 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Lala Amarnath | 1947-52 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| 5 | Vijay Hazare | 1951-53 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| 6 | Vinoo Mankad | 1955-59 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 | Ghulam Ahmed | 1955-59 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | Polly Umrigar | 1955-58 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 9 | Hemu Adhikari | 1959 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Datta Gaekwad | 1959 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 11 | Pankaj Roy | 1959 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | Gulabrai Ramchand | 1959-60 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 13 | Nari Contractor | 1960-62 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 14 | Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi | 1962-75 | 40 | 9 | 19 | 12 |
| 15 | Chandu Borde | 1967 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Ajit Wadekar | 1971-74 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 17 | Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan | 1974-79 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Sunil Gavaskar | 1976-85 | 47 | 9 | 8 | 30 |
| 19 | Bishan Singh Bedi | 1976-78 | 22 | 6 | 11 | 5 |
| 20 | Gundappa Viswanath | 1980 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 21 | Kapil Dev | 1983-87 | 34 | 4 | 7 | 22 |
| 22 | Dilip Vengsarkar | 1987-89 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| 23 | Ravi Shastri | 1988 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Krishnamachari Srikkanth | 1989 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 25 | Mohammad Azharuddin | 1990-99 | 47 | 14 | 14 | 19 |
| 26 | Sachin Tendulkar | 1996-00 | 25 | 4 | 9 | 12 |
| 27 | Sourav Ganguly | 2000-05 | 49 | 21 | 13 | 15 |
| 28 | Rahul Dravid | 2003-07 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 11 |
| 29 | Virender Sehwag | 2005-12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Anil Kumble | 2007-08 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| 31 | Mahendra Singh Dhoni | 2008-14 | 60 | 27 | 18 | 15 |
| 32 | Virat Kohli | 2014-22 | 68 | 40 | 17 | 11 |
| 33 | Ajinkya Rahane | 2017-21 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 34 | KL Rahul | 2022 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 35 | Rohit Sharma | 2022-23 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 36 | Jasprit Bumrah | 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
List of Captains for the ODI Match
The table provides a comprehensive overview of Indian ODI cricket captains who have led the team in at least one ODI, including the span of their captaincy, the number of matches played, and the outcomes (Won, Lost, Tied, No result).
No. | Name | Span | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | No result |
| 1 | Ajit Wadekar | 1974 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan | 1975–79 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Bishen Singh Bedi | 1975–78 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Sunil Gavaskar | 1980–85 | 37 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Gundappa Viswanath | 1980 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Kapil Dev | 1982–92 | 74 | 39 | 33 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Syed Kirmani | 1983 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Mohinder Amarnath | 1984 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Ravi Shastri | 1986–91 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Dilip Vengsarkar | 1987–88 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Krishnamachari Srikkanth | 1989 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Mohammad Azharuddin | 1989–99 | 174 | 90 | 76 | 2 | 6 |
| 13 | Sachin Tendulkar | 1996–99 | 73 | 23 | 43 | 1 | 6 |
| 14 | Ajay Jadeja | 1998–99 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Sourav Ganguly | 1999–2005 | 146 | 76 | 65 | 0 | 5 |
| 16 | Rahul Dravid | 2000–07 | 79 | 42 | 33 | 0 | 4 |
| 17 | Anil Kumble | 2002 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Virender Sehwag | 2003–2011 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Mahendra Singh Dhoni | 2007–18 | 200 | 110 | 74 | 5 | 11 |
| 20 | Suresh Raina | 2010-2014 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | Gautam Gambhir | 2010–11 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Virat Kohli | 2013–21 | 95 | 65 | 27 | 1 | 2 |
| 23 | Ajinkya Rahane | 2015 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Rohit Sharma | 2017–present | 45 | 34 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | Shikhar Dhawan | 2021–22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | KL Rahul | 2022–23 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Hardik Pandya | 2023 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
List of Captains for the T20I Match
The table provides a comprehensive overview of Indian T20 International cricket captains who have led the team in at least one match, including the span of their captaincy, the number of matches played, and the outcomes (Won, Lost, Drawn).
No. | Name | Span | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn |
| 1 | Virender Sehwag | 2006 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Mahendra Singh Dhoni | 2007–16 | 72 | 41 | 28 | 1 |
| 3 | Suresh Raina | 2010–11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Ajinkya Rahane | 2015 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | Virat Kohli | 2017–21 | 50 | 30 | 16 | 2 |
| 6 | Rohit Sharma | 2017–present | 51 | 39 | 12 | 0 |
| 7 | Shikhar Dhawan | 2021 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 8 | Rishabh Pant | 2022 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 9 | Hardik Pandya | 2022–23 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 1 |
| 10 | KL Rahul | 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Jasprit Bumrah | 2023 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | 2023 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Suryakumar Yadav | 2023 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
Conclusion
The captaincy of the Indian cricket team, a cornerstone in the nation's sporting legacy, has continuously evolved, echoing through the IPL era. From the pioneering leadership of Nayudu to the dynamic tenures of Kohli and Sharma, the role of the captain has been central to shaping India's cricketing narrative. This role gains even more significance in the IPL, where strategies and leadership styles are constantly tested. The ever-evolving nature of cricket, highlighted in the IPL, ensures that the question, 'Who Is the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team?' remains not only pertinent but also a reflection of the aspirations and achievements of India's future cricket leaders.
