Looking at India’s most successful captains in Test cricket, it’s clear that Test cricket is the highest level of the game. It is a true test of a player’s skills, requiring a lot of patience and focus. Playing in this format is tough as players must give their full effort for all five days.
The role of the captain in Test cricket is very important. Compared to the other formats, leading a Test team is much harder, as the captain must make the right decisions in every session to stay ahead.
India has been one of the top teams in Test cricket, showing consistent performance over the years. They have dominated both at home and in overseas matches. One of the main reasons for this success is the strong leadership of their captains. Indian cricket has been lucky to have had great leaders who have achieved amazing things. In this article, we will look at the most successful Test captains of India.
Virat Kohli’s Wins as Test Captain of India – 40
Virat Kohli is the most successful Test captain of India, and there is no doubt about it. The Indian team’s success in Test cricket is largely because of Kohli, who gave everything he had for the team. He became the Test captain in 2014.
From then on, he encouraged a fearless attitude in the players and brought a culture of fitness to the team. Under his leadership, India began winning matches overseas. They won their first Test series in Australia, drew a series in England, and also won matches in South Africa. Kohli led India in 68 Test matches and won 40 of them—the most by any Indian captain. His win rate of 58.82% is also the highest among Indian captains.
Ms Dhoni’s Wins as Test Captain of India – 27
The second most successful Test captain of India is MS Dhoni. As captain, the wicketkeeper-batter led India to the top of the ICC rankings, with the team winning many famous matches. Dhoni supported many players during his career, and they repaid his trust with great performances.
He also helped players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and R Ashwin grow under his leadership. Dhoni led the team in 60 Test matches, winning 27 of them and drawing 18. As captain, his win percentage in Test cricket was 45%.
Sourav Ganguly’s Wins as Test Captain of India – 21
Sourav Ganguly, known as the “dada” of Indian cricket, is also one of India’s most successful Test captains. He played a big role in changing Indian cricket, as the team started challenging and beating strong opponents under his leadership.
Ganguly led from the front and always stood up for his team. He captained India in 49 Test matches and won 21 of them. His win percentage as a captain was 61.76%.
Mohammad Azharuddin’s Wins as Test Captain of India – 19
Mohammad Azharuddin is highly respected in Indian cricket. He was one of the best batters to play the game and made a huge contribution to the Indian team. Besides being a great batter, Azharuddin was also an excellent leader and is seen as one of the best captains of the team.
He is the fourth most successful Test captain for India. Azharuddin led the team in 47 Test matches, winning 9 and losing 19, with a win percentage of 50%. Under his captaincy, the team also managed 19 draws.
Sunil Gavaskar’s Wins as Test Captain of India – 9
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar is one of the most respected names in Indian cricket. Before Sachin Tendulkar, he was known as the master of cricket for scoring many runs for the Indian team. Gavaskar also served as the team’s captain from 1976 to 1985, and he did a good job.
He led India in 47 Test matches, winning 9 and losing 8 of them. Under his captaincy, India also had 30 draws, and his win percentage was 52.94%.
FAQ’s
Who is the most successful Test captain of India?
Virat Kohli is the most successful Test captain of India, winning 40 out of 68 matches.
Which Indian player has the most wins as Test captain?
Virat Kohli has the most wins as Test captain for India. He led the team to victory in 40 out of 68 matches. The second most successful Indian Test captain is MS Dhoni, who won 27 matches.
