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Team India have been blessed with some of the best and most unique captains in cricket history. The statement is all the more true when it comes to ODIs, with India boasting captains of varying personalitites and strategies from Kapil Dev to Rohit Sharma.
The Men in Blue have been among the most successful teams when it comes to ICC ODI events, winning two World Cups and as many Champions Trophies. Yet, several Indian captains, who may have missed out on ultimate title glory, possess incredible numbers in the leadership role.
As India looks to win a third Champions Trophy and a fifth ICC ODI title in the ongoing 2025 Champions Trophy, it is time we pay tribute to the 10 best captains to lead the side over the years and find out who did it the best.
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#10 Gautam Gambhir
![Gautam Gambhir boasts an incredible record in his limited time as India's ODI captain [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/06248-17413395233605-1920.jpg)
Team India's current head coach, Gautam Gambhir, is a name that might catch many off guard as far as national captaincy is concerned. However, the former left-hander led India in six odd ODIs that MS Dhoni missed in 2010 and 2011.
Gambhir led India to a 5-0 home series whitewash over New Zealand and also won a home ODI against the West Indies a year later as captain. While six matches might be too few a sample size, it is hard to argue against a 6-0 win record, especially when one considers his success as a captain later in the IPL.
Gambhir also shone with the bat as India's ODI captain, averaging a stunning 90 at a strike rate of 106.19 in six innings.
Gautam Gambhir's ODI Captaincy Numbers
Played: 6, Won: 6, Lost: 0, Tie/No-Result: 0, Win Percentage: 100%, ICC Titles: 0
#9 Ajay Jadeja
![Ajay Jadeja was arguably India's best makeshift ODI captain [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/8be57-17413394577028-1920.jpg)
Another name on this list that might surprise many Indian fans is former right-handed batter Ajay Jadeja. Renowned for his finishing skills in the middle-order with the occasional instance of opening the batting, Jadeja captained India in 13 ODIs.
By leading the side to runners-up finish in a couple of tri-series between 1998 and 1999, Jadeja helped himself to a commendable 8-5 win record as India's ODI captain. The former cricketer also impressed with the bat as skipper, averaging 44 with a century and two centuries in 12 innings.
Ajay Jadeja's ODI Captaincy Numbers
Played: 13, Won: 8, Lost: 5, Tie/No-Result: 0, Win Percentage: 61.53%, ICC Titles: 0
#8 Sunil Gavaskar
![Sunil Gavaskar led India to one of their most memorable triumphs in 1985 [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/59886-17413393888953-1920.jpg)
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar comes in next on this list of great ODI captains for India, despite a sub-par win-loss record. The now 75-year-old led India in 37 ODIs during the first half of the 1980s. However, the side only won 14 games, while suffering defeats in 21 of them.
Yet, the redeeming factor in Gavaskar's captaincy stint was India's memorable triumph in the 1985 World Championship of Cricket in Australia - the second biggest tournament then after the World Cup. Incidentally, the tournament was the last time Gavaskar captained India in ODIs.
Sunil Gavaskar's ODI Captaincy Numbers
Played: 37, Won: 14, Lost: 21, Tie/No-Result: 2, Win Percentage: 40%, ICC Titles: 0
#7 Rahul Dravid
![India enjoyed tremendous success in bilateral series under Rahul Dravid [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/1a1dd-17413393219922-1920.jpg)
Another batting legend, Rahul Dravid, comes in at No.7 among the best Indian ODI captains. The 52-year-old led India sparingly in the early 2000s when regular skipper Sourav Ganguly missed out.
However, Dravid's permanent captaincy stint was from 2005 to 2007, when India touched several incredible highs and all-time lows. The side became a better chasing team under Dravid, with the batter himself playing a key role with an average of over 42 in 79 matches as ODI captain.
Yet, the first-round exit in the 2006 Champions Trophy at home and missing out on Super-Eight qualification in the 2007 ODI World Cup severely dented Dravid's captaincy legacy. Nevertheless, an overall winning percentage of 56 is the fourth-best among Indian ODI captains with at least 50 games at the helm.
Rahul Dravid's ODI Captaincy Numbers
Played: 79, Won: 42, Lost: 33, Tie/No-Result: 4, Win Percentage: 56%, ICC Titles: 0
#6 Mohammad Azharuddin
![Mohammed Azharuddin held the Indian team together in a difficult decade of the 1990s [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/de595-17413392346209-1920.jpg)
One of India's most underrated captains, Mohammad Azharuddin, led the side admirably in ODIs through most of the 1990s. Despite possessing only a mediocre side on paper, the Hyderabad-born batter kept them afloat through most of his tenure at the reign.
Azhar led India in the three ODI World Cups in the 1990s, helping the side reach the semifinal of the 1996 edition. He is behind only MS Dhoni in terms of most ODIs captained by an Indian.
Even as several tumultuous periods ensued during his leadership, Azhar maintained an impressive average of almost 40 in 162 innings as captain in ODIs.
Mohammad Azharuddin's ODI Captaincy Numbers
Played: 174, Won: 90, Lost: 76, Tie/No-Result: 8, Win Percentage: 54.16%, ICC Titles: 0
#5 Sourav Ganguly
![Sourav Ganguly led India to their first-ever Champions Trophy title [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/ff064-17413391691937-1920.jpg)
The 'Prince of Kolkata' Sourav Ganguly cracks the top five among legendary Indian ODI captains. Numbers aside, Ganguly took over an Indian side reeling from the match-fixing scandal at the end of the 1999 season and transformed them in terms of mentality and results.
The former skipper also helped India finish as runners-up in the 2000 Champions Trophy and the 2003 ODI World Cup. Ganguly's best achievement as India's ODI captain came in the 2002 Champions Trophy, where the side finished as joint-winners with Sri Lanka.
Ganguly is also one of only three Indian captains to lead the side in over 100 ODIs. Besides the ICC tournaments, India's triumph under Ganguly in the 2002 Natwest series in England remains among the most memorable moments in the country's cricketing history.
Sourav Ganguly's ODI Captaincy Numbers
Played: 146, Won: 76, Lost: 65, Tie/No-Result: 5, Win Percentage: 53.90%, ICC Titles: 1
#4 Virat Kohli
![India were a model of consistency under Virat Kohli in ODIs [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/ec971-17413391249628-1920.jpg)
Ace Indian batter Virat Kohli comes in at No.4, leading the side to consistently brilliant results in ODIs. Taking over from the highly successful MS Dhoni was no easy thing in a country with some of the harshest critics like India.
However, Kohli forged his own path, often leading the side with an Australian-esque aggression on and off the field. The 36-year-old may not have won an ICC trophy as captain but India produced dominant performances through their run to the 2017 Champions Trophy final and 2019 ODI World Cup semifinal.
Kohli is also one of only two Indian ODI captains with a winning percentage of over 70 among those with at least 50 matches at the helm. What helped Kohli, the captain, was his batting, where he averaged an extraordinary 72.65 in 91 innings, leading the side in ODIs.
Virat Kohli's ODI Captaincy Numbers
Played: 95, Won: 65, Lost: 27, Tie/No-Result: 3, Win Percentage: 70.43%, ICC Titles: 0
#3 Rohit Sharma
![Rohit Sharma has transformed India into the most consistent ODI side in world cricket [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/5913e-17413390425659-1920.jpg)
Current skipper Rohit Sharma is already in the top three of India's best ODI captains of all time. Taking over from Kohli as permanent ODI captain in 2022, Rohit has led India to arguably its most consistent period in the 50-over format.
While the side fell short in the final step of the 2023 ODI World Cup at home, even the most diehard Indian fans admired their unbeaten run until the grand finale under Rohit. The 37-year-old boasts the best winning percentage among Indian captains with at least 50 ODIs in the role at 76.85.
Rohit has also led the Men in Blue to the final of the ongoing 2025 Champions Trophy. Should he right the wrongs of the 2023 World Cup and India lift the trophy on Sunday, a climb up this ranking might not be too far away.
Rohit Sharma's ODI Captaincy Numbers
Played: 55, Won: 41, Lost: 12, Tie/No-Result: 2, Win Percentage: 76.85%, ICC Titles: 0
#2 Kapil Dev
![Kapil Dev led India to their first-ever World Cup title [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/c93de-17413390032632-1920.jpg)
The man who inspired the whole of India to dream big with his 1983 ODI World Cup win, Kapil Dev, comes in at No.2. In one of the greatest underdog stories in sports, Kapil led India to their first World Cup title with a remarkable win over two-time defending champions West Indies in the 1983 final.
A low-key Indian side also started believing and winning more games consistently after the World Cup title. Despite leading India from only 1982 to 1987, the magnitude of Kapil's impact continues to be felt by his successors.
The legendary all-rounder was also the first-ever Indian captain to lead the side in 50 ODIs.
Kapil Dev's ODI Captaincy Numbers
Played: 74, Won: 39, Lost: 33, Tie/No-Result: 2, Win Percentage: 54.16%, ICC Titles: 1
#1 MS Dhoni
![MS Dhoni led India to two of their three ICC ODI titles in this century [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/34489-17413389339013-1920.jpg)
So near, yet so far was a common theme in Indian cricket, despite the 1983 World Cup win, until a certain MS Dhoni took over the side. The 43-year-old is the only Indian captain to win two ICC ODI titles - 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.
Titles aside, Dhoni also holds the records for the most matches captained and most wins as captain in ODIs among Indian cricketers. He also boasts the best winning percentage among Indian captains with 100 ODIs at the helm.
The wicketkeeper-batter also led India to an unbeaten run through the group stages of the 2015 ODI World Cup before their defeat to eventual winners Australia in the semifinal.
Dhoni also led from the front as captain, evidenced by his incredible ODI average of 53.55 and a strike rate of 86.21 as skipper.
MS Dhoni's ODI Captaincy Numbers
Played: 200, Won: 110, Lost: 74, Tie/No-Result: 16, Win Percentage: 59.52%, ICC Titles: 2
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