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Indian Cricket Team Captains List

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List of Captains of One Day Cricket Team of India

Till 2021, 20th July Indian cricket team have played 995 ODI matches with 518 wins, 427 defeats, 9 ties, and 41 matches abandoned, with a winning percentage of 52.76. Twenty-four captains have led the Indian cricket team on one or more occasions. The first ODI captain of India was Ajit Wadekar, only for two matches. The most successful of India national cricket team captains is Mahendra Singh Dhoni, capped with one hundred ten wins out of two hundred matches. Mohammad Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly played one hundred seventy-four and one hundred forty-six matches, respectively.


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The list of captains of one day cricket team of India consists of twenty-four players; out of them, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is supposed to be the most successful one with a winning ratio of around 76%. However, Virat Kohli is closely behind Dhoni with a stupendous winning track. 


Captaincy in Cricket is a Crucial Aspect

Captaincy in cricket is a crucial aspect; just like coaching, it varies according to the level of the team and the skill of players. The importance of captaincy in the cricket team makes the game different from other sports. In soccer, a captain is a formal person in charge and a role model. But the gameplay strategy and major decisions are taken by the coach. On the other hand, in cricket, the captain leads the team on and off the field. The captain takes all the decisions on the pitch and can even recall the whole team from the field. Indian cricket captain lists led by example to motivate and aspire the whole team.


The List of Captains of the One-day Cricket team of India is as follows:

  • The first captain of the Indian cricket team was Ajit Wadekar in 1974 and played only two matches. 

  • S. Venkataraghavan is the second captain for 1975-78 played seven ODIs with a winning ratio of 14.28. He is one of the list of captains of one day cricket team of India.

  • Bishen Singh Bedi is third on the Indian cricket captain list for 1975-78 for four matches. 

  • Sunil Gavaskar was captained for thirty-seven matches with a success rate of 40% in 1980-1985.

  • Gundappa Viswanath, as captain, played in one match in 1980.

  • Kapil Dev captained seventy–four ODI matches with a winning ratio of 54% for 1982-1992.

  • Syed Kirmani played only one ODI as captain.

  • Mohinder Amarnath also played only one ODI as captain in 1984.

  • Ravi Shastri captained eleven ODIs for the period 1986-1911.

  • Dilip Vengsarkar played eighteen ODI matches as captain for 1987-88. 

  • Krishnamacharya Srikant captained thirteen matches in 1989.

  • Mohammad Azharuddin played one hundred seventy-four ODI matches as captain in 1989-99 with a success rate of 53.57.

  • Sachin Tendulkar captained seventy-three ODI matches for 1996-1999.

  • Ajay Jadeja played thirteen ODI matches as captain in 1997-1999.

  • Sourav Ganguly played one hundred forty-six matches as captain in 1999-2005.

  • Rahul Dravid played seventy-nine ODI matches with a 56% success rate in 2000-2007.

  • Anil Kumble captained only one ODI match in 2001.

  • Virendra Sehwag played twelve matches as captain in 2003-2011 with a winning rate of 58.33.

  • Mahendra Singh Dhoni played two hundred ODI matches as captain with a success rate of 59.52 for the period 2007-2018.

  • Suresh Raina captained twelve matches in 2010.

  • Gautam Gambhir played six ODI matches as captain in 2010.

  • Virat Kohli is the present captain of the Indian cricket team with a success rate of 75.89%.

  • Rahane played three ODI matches as captain in 2015.

  • Rohit Sharma played eight ODI matches as captain in 2017-18.

This is the list of Indian cricket teams, including the first captain of Indian cricket team. May Indian cricket fans ask who was the first ODI captain for India? Ajit Wadekar, the stylish left-handed batsman, is the first ODI captain of India.  Under his leadership, India played the maiden ODI match against England at Leeds on 13th July 1974. He scored 64 in that match. The veteran cricketer passed away in 2018 at the age of seventy-seven.


Mohammad Azharuddin is considered one of the best of all captains of Indian cricket team, leading India to win in ninety ODIs. Not only was he a successful captain but also a prolific left-handed batsman. But, unfortunately, his stellar career came to a crashing end when he was charged with match-fixing; consequently, the BCCI banned him for a lifetime.


Many cricket fans endorse Sourav Ganguly as the best in the Indian cricket captain list.  Best or not, he is undoubtedly the most aggressive skipper taking some exceptional decisions embedding national pride in the team. Statistically, M.S.Dhoni is way ahead of Ganguly, but it does not depict the whole saga. His contribution to cricket goes beyond facts and figures.


Attributes of Great Captains

A great captain stands beside his players in adverse times like a belligerent fighter. He backs players with immense potentiality in their bad patches. The encouraged players do not disappoint the captain when they give their best for the team`s glory. The players become aware of the captain's faith in them; in turn, the players give their best shots to honor the faith.


Usually, a captain is selected based on their experience, their performance, and status in the team. The captain is the liaison between administrative, coaching staff, and players. He is the person to decide on the field, the spokesperson of other team members. Under any circumstance, the captain takes rein of the team, gives an explanation for defeats. He is the person who glues the team, encourages players to give their best to write a success story the country will remember.


A highly regarded captain often makes a personal sacrifice for the well being of the team. With the role of job model for the entire team, which influences them, the captain pays a social cost. The captain cannot engage himself in myriad gossip or normal banter. Unlike other sports, the cricket team captain performs multiple roles; he is not only the leader but fulfills managerial tasks like formulating strategies and tactics. He is responsible for grooming future superstars. The captain teaches the players how to win games.


The role of captain becomes compound by the sporadic use of vice-captain. The absence of a second-in-chief makes his role more crucial, as there is no one to delegate responsibilities. In many teams, a vice-captain is nominated as someone to take charge in the absence of the captain. However, the best cricket teams always have a vice-captain who complements the captain, acts as a council. A judicious vice-captain can offer a trusted opinion to the captain, a different judgment, a different approach to the game plan. 


An outstanding captain shows the path how to get in the mind of the opposition. He has the uncanny sense to know when the opposition is in danger and go for the kill. A prudent captain always uses the collective strength of the team. A captain is navigating the ship, not rowing the boat all the time.

FAQs on Indian Cricket Team Captains List

1. What is power play?

In 2005, the obligatory power play was used for the first fifteen overs. Only two players were allowed outside the thirty-yard circle. Two more players were required to be placed near the pitch closer to the batsman. This arrangement of fielders allowed the batsman to score aggressively.


From 2005, the power play rule was modified with ten overs of mandatory power play, followed by two sessions of power play where three fielders stand outside the thirty yards circle. Currently, four fielders are allowed near the boundary once the compulsory power play ends. In addition, from 2012, the close catching position was removed in 2012. Thus the batsmen require taking single and double runs in middle overs to keep the scoreboard moving.

2. What is the area of pitch?

The pitch is a rectangular area of the middle part of the ground measuring 22 yards/20.12 meters in length and 10feet/30.5 meters in breadth. The pitch is bounded by bowling creases on both sides, the wicket to wicket distance of a cricket pitch is 22 yards, and the length from crease to crease is 19.3 yards. The total length of the pitch from edge to edge is 24.6 yards. The umpire is the sole judge regarding the fitness of the pitch.  


The ground authority prepares the pitch before the game, but once the match starts, it is under the control and maintenance of the umpire. The pitch should not be changed during the course of the game until the umpire finds it unsafe and hazardous for the game to extend. Then, with the consent of both captains, the umpire can change the pitch. 

3. Why is the white ball used in ODI?

Test and first-class cricket matches are usually held during the daytime; in such conditions, it is difficult to observe a white ball, and furthermore, the white dress of players makes it more difficult. In this situation, a red ball is more visible in these matches. Hence red balls with white stitches are used in these matches.


With the advent of ODI, it mostly played in the day-night session. A red ball is not visible under artificial light, so using a white ball came into practice. As players wear the colorful dress in T-20or ODI, a white ball is more detectable. The cricket ball weighs between 155.9 to 163 grams and shall not weigh less than 5.75 ounces/155.9 grams. Balls used in the match are determined by the umpire and kept in possession during the match.