Indian Cricket Captain List – From Then to Now

Explore the journey of India's cricket captains over the decades, from Lala Amarnath to Rohit Sharma.

Format: Test Cricket only Captaincy Period: 1947–1952 Details: Lala Amarnath was India’s first-ever captain post-independence. 

Lala Amarnath (1947–1952)

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Format: Test Cricket only Captaincy Period: 1962–1975 Details: Pataudi captained India in Test cricket for 13 years. He did not lead India in ODIs, as they began after his time in 1974.

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (1962–1975)

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Formats: Test & ODI Captaincy Period: 1982–1987 Details: Kapil Dev captained India in both Test and ODI formats. Under his leadership, India won its first-ever ICC Cricket World Cup in 1983.

Kapil Dev (1982–1987)

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Formats: Test & ODI Captaincy Period: 1990–1999 Details: Azharuddin was one of India’s longest-serving captains, leading in Test and ODI formats. He captained in 47 Tests and 174 ODIs during his career.

Mohammad Azharuddin (1990–1999)

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Formats: Test & ODI Captaincy Period: 2000–2005 Details: Ganguly is credited with changing India’s approach to cricket, especially overseas. 

Sourav Ganguly (2000–2005)

Image Credit: Circle of Cricket

Format: Test Cricket only Captaincy Period: 2005–2007 Details: Known for his calm leadership and technical skills, he led India to notable Test victories, including in the West Indies.

Rahul Dravid (2005–2007)

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Formats: Test & ODI Captaincy Period: 2000–2005 Details: Ganguly is credited with changing India’s approach to cricket, especially overseas. 

MS Dhoni (2007–2017)

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Formats: Test, ODI & T20I Captaincy Period: 2013–2022 (ODI & T20I); 2014–2022 (Test) Details: Kohli is known for his aggressive captaincy and led India to become the No.1 Test team during his tenure.

Virat Kohli (2013–2022)

Image Credit:: Britannica

Formats: Test & ODI Captaincy Period: 2022–Present (as of 2025) Details: Rohit Sharma led India to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy win.

Rohit Sharma (2022–Present)

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