7 Indians who captained India in all formats (men's)

Leadership in Indian men's cricket is a distinguished club. Some say being the captain of the Indian cricket team is literally next to being the Prime Minister of India. Only 7 Indians have had the honour to captain the team in Tests, ODIs, and T20 Internationals. Here’s a list of these 7 Indians who have captained India in all formats.

1. Virender Sehwag (2006)

Virender Sehwag, known for his explosive batting, captained India briefly in all formats. In fact, he was the first Indian to lead India in all formats.

Though his captaincy was short-lived, he brought an aggressive attacking mindset to the team. Sehwag was made the ODI captain for the first time in 2003 against Bangladesh. Then in 2005, he captained India in a lone Test against Sri Lanka.

Sehwag then led India in India’s first-ever T20I match against South Africa in 2006. He led India in 12 ODIs, 4 Tests, and 1 T20I.

2. MS Dhoni (2008)

MS Dhoni, who marked a golden period in Indian cricket with his leadership skills, became the second Indian to lead the men’s team in every format.

Under him, India won the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, making him the only captain to win all three major ICC events.

Dhoni captained in 60 Tests, 200 ODIs, and 72 T20Is, renowned for his calm, tactical acumen, and finishing skills. His leadership earned 178 wins in 332 matches across formats.

3. Virat Kohli (2017)

Virat Kohli started as the ODI captain in 2013 and then took the helm of Test cricket in 2014 in Australia. In 2017, against England in Kanpur, he made his debut as the T20I captain.

He led India to a record 19 consecutive unbeaten Test matches and won 135 of 213 matches across formats, boasting a strong winning percentage.

Kohli’s tenure emphasized fitness, consistency, and dominance across conditions, making India a formidable opponent internationally.

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4. Ajinkya Rahane (2017)

Ajinkya Rahane, often regarded as the calm counterbalance to Kohli, stepped in as captain during Kohli’s injury absence.

Rahane captained India in 6 Test matches, earning 4 wins and 2 draws with an unbeaten record in leadership. Most notably, he led India to a historic series victory in Australia (2020-21), including a memorable win at Brisbane that ended Australia’s 32-year unbeaten record at the venue.

Rahane also captained India in 3 ODIs, winning all of them.​

5. Rohit Sharma (Captaincy started in 2022)

Rohit Sharma became India’s captain in all formats starting in 2022.

Under his leadership, India secured key victories in limited overs and Test cricket. Rohit led India to ICC trophy wins like the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy.

Rohit had led India in ODIs and T20Is in 2017. But he had to wait till 2022 to lead India in Tests. The Mumbaikar led India in 142 matches.

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6. KL Rahul (2022)

KL Rahul took on leadership roles in 2022, captaining India mainly in limited-overs formats.

He started as the Test captain against South Africa in 2022 and then went on to lead India in ODIs in the same tour in South Africa.

In Dubai later that year, Rahul led India in T20Is for the first time, against Afghanistan.

7. Shubman Gill (2025)

The youngest of the group, Shubman Gill began captaining India in 2025, marking a new generational shift. Gill, known for his elegant batting and cricketing intellect, is expected to bring fresh energy and vision to Indian cricket’s leadership, spearheading the team into a new era.

Gill took over the reign from Rohit Sharma in Tests and ODIs in 2025. However, he had already led India in T20Is against Zimbabwe in 2024.

How to watch Australia vs India, 2025 ODI series?

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