The India Cricket Team has had 36 Test captains since their debut in 1932 under Col CK Nayudu. However, in their 93-year history, not many have served as the captain for 10 or more matches. Only 17 of them have led India in 10 or more matches. Rohit Sharma was one of them. Rohit called it quits as India’s Test captain and as a Test player on May 7. While his tenure wasn’t considered hugely successful, he would remain one of the most successful Indian Test captains in terms of winning percentage.
Rohit Sharma had a winning percentage of 50%, second only to Virat Kohli, who led India to 40 Test wins, most by an Indian captain and had a winning percentage of 58.82.
Rohit Sharma’s Test captaincy highlights
- Matches: 24
- Wins: 12
- Losses: 9
- Draws: 3
- Series wins: 5
- Win%: 50.00
India’s Test captains
| Captain | Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 2014-2022 | 68 | 40 | 17 | 0 | 11 | 58.82 |
| MS Dhoni | 2008-2014 | 60 | 27 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 45.00 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 2000-2005 | 49 | 21 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 42.85 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 1976-1985 | 47 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 30 | 19.14 |
| Mod Azharuddin | 1990-1999 | 47 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 19 | 29.78 |
| Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi | 1962-1975 | 40 | 9 | 19 | 0 | 12 | 22.50 |
| Kapil Dev | 1983-1987 | 34 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 22 | 11.76 |
| Rahul Dravid | 2003-2007 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 32.00 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 1996-2000 | 25 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 16.00 |
| Rohit Sharma | 2022-2024 | 24 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 50.00 |
| Bishan Singh Bedi | 1976-1978 | 22 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 27.27 |
| Ajit Wadekar | 1971-1974 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 25.00 |
| Lala Amarnath | 1947-1952 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13.33 |
| Vijay Hazare | 1951-1953 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 7.14 |
| Anil Kumble | 2007-2008 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 21.42 |
| Nari Contractor | 1960-1962 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 16.66 |
| Dilip Vengsarkar | 1987-1989 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 20.00 |
How did Rohit Sharma do as Test captain?
Rohit Sharma made his Test captaincy debut in 2022 against Sri Lanka in Mohali. While he wasn’t very keen on taking up the role, he stepped up after Virat Kohli quit captaincy. Then, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly urged him to take Test captaincy.
“Rohit Sharma wasn’t keen on taking up India’s captaincy in all three formats. It had gone to a stage where I told him ‘you’ll have to say yes otherwise I’ll make the announcement.’ Because he is an outstanding captain. And after Virat Kohli left, he was the best man to lead India,” Ganguly said in a chat with Kolkata TV.
India also lost the WTC Final 2023 under Rohit’s captaincy against Australia.
Rohit Sharma’s series records
Under captain Rohit Sharma, India went on a four-match winning streak to start with. He then bettered his own record with a six-match winning streak in 2024 before it all came crashing down. Rohit remains the only Indian captain under whom India was whitewashed at home. Rohit ended his Test captaincy and Test career, losing five of his last six matches.
| Series | Mat | Won | Lost | HS | LS | Start Date | Result | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India vs Sri Lanka, 2021/22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 574 | 252 | 4 Mar 2022 | 2-0 | India |
| India vs Australia, 2022/23 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 571 | 109 | 9 Feb 2023 | 2-1 | India |
| West Indies vs India, 2023 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 438 | 438 | 12 Jul 2023 | 1-0 | India |
| South Africa vs India, 2023/24 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 245 | 131 | 26 Dec 2023 | 1-1 | Drawn |
| India vs England, 2023/24 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 477 | 202 | 25 Jan 2024 | 4-1 | India |
| India vs Bangladesh, 2024/25 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 376 | 376 | 19 Sep 2024 | 2-0 | India |
| India vs New Zealand, 2024/25 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 462 | 46 | 16 Oct 2024 | 0-3 | New Zealand |
| Australia vs India, 2024/25 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 369 | 155 | 6 Dec 2024 | 1-3 | Australia |
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