Top 5 Successful T20I Captain in Indian Cricket

The inaugural T20 World Cup champions have been led most by MS Dhoni in the T20 format, but they have also tasted success under the leadership of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

In this article, we will talk about the Top 5 successful T20I captains in Indian cricket. 

#5 Suryakumar Yadav

India’s most successful T20I batter, Suryakumar Yadav, was given the chance to lead the Indian T20I team in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Rohit Sharma, who were rested or dealing with their respective injuries.

After the Cricket World Cup 2023, Team India was scheduled to play a five-match T20I series against Australia, and for this series majority of the players were rested, so Surya was given the charge, and he led India to a series win by the margin of 4-1.

Surya also led the Indian team in South Africa, where, once again, the leading players were not playing; The series was tied at 1-1. Under Surya Kumar Yadav, India won 5 out of 8 matches.

#4 Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya, the current vice-captain of the Indian T20I team, has led India in 16 T20Is and has won 10 out of them. He came into the leadership group after winning the IPL 2022 for Gujarat Titans during India’s tour to Ireland in the year 2022. He was given the charge of the team as Rohit Sharma was rested for the tour. After the T20 World Cup 2022, Hardik led India in most of the T20I series; He won a T20I series in New Zealand and a home series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Hardik Pandya is a successful IPL captain, and he could become India’s next T20I captain once Rohit Sharma steps down or retires.

#3 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli took over from MS Dhoni after he stepped down as India’s white-ball captain; Kohli led India for the first time against England in a home series, which turned out to be an intense series which India eventually won by a margin of 2-1. Kohli led India in 50 T20Is, and India won 30 out of them.

Under Kohli, India won the T20I series in New Zealand, England, and Australia. However, India was knocked out of the T20 World Cup 2021 from the group stage under Virat Kohli; before the tournament started, he had already announced that he would step down as the Indian T20I skipper after this T20WC.

#2 Rohit Sharma

India’s current T20I captain, Rohit Sharma, has led India in 54 T20Is and has won 41 matches. Rohit Sharma was appointed as the Indian T20I skipper in November 2021, post the T20 World Cup 2021 as Virat Kohli stepped down.

Rohit first led India in T20Is in 2017 against Sri Lanka; India clean-swept Sri Lanka by 3-0 in the home series. Then Rohit Sharma in 2018 led the team India in the Nidahas Trophy as Virat Kohli was rested, Rohit again delivered an excellent performance by winning the trophy. Rohit Sharma, in the year 2022 led India for the first time in an ICC T20 World Cup; he took the team to the semi-final, which India lost by 10 wickets.

Rohit Sharma is one of the most successful captains in IPL history; he has won 5 IPL titles as captain for the Mumbai Indians franchise.

#1 MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni led the Indian team in the inaugural T20 World Cup, which India eventually won by beating archrivals Pakistan in the Final. Dhoni’s first match as a T20I captain was washed out due to rain, but in his second game, he showed his tactical masterclass against Pakistan, Beating them in the bowl-out after the scores were tied.

Under MS Dhoni, India reached the finals of the T20 World Cup 2014, which they lost to Sri Lanka and in the 2016 T20 World Cup, which was conducted in India, Dhoni took the team to the semi-final. In the same year before the T20 World Cup, India won the Asia Cup under MS Dhoni, which was played in the T20 format. Dhoni overall led India in 72 T20Is and won 41 out of them.

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