The journey of successful Indian captains have been remarkable over the years. The nation has got exceptional leaders who shaped the landscape of Test cricket for India. 

It is now time to look back at those victories brought to us by the Indian team under such efficient captains. Here are the most successful Test captains from India.

1. Virat Kohli (40 wins)

Virat Kohli is considered to be the most successful Test captain India could ever get! He had a stellar career as a captain from 2014 to 2022. Under his captaincy, India became aggressively dominant in home and held a streak of never losing or drawing a single home series.

Kohli secured 40 wins out of 68 tests, which is the highest as an Indian captain. He also holds the record for most double centuries by an Indian in Test cricket, with a total of 7 double centuries.

India has had several quality test batters, but there is no other captain who could match King Kohli's legacy.

Virat Kohli's test stats as captain:

Read Also: Virat Kohli became the Test captain on this very day; a look at Kohli's legacy as Test captain

2. MS Dhoni (27 wins)

MS Dhoni served as a Test captain for six years for India, and had a stellar career. He holds the record for most number of sixes by an Indian captain, which is 51 in number.

Under Dhoni's captaincy, India won 27 tests out of 60, having a win percentage of 45%.

Dhoni's test stats as captain:

3. Sourav Ganguly (21 wins)

Sourav Ganguly, who is widely known for his contributions as a player and captain for the Indian team, is a prominent name in this list of most successful Test captains from India.

Dada was the Indian test captain from 2000-2005 and won 21 tests out of 49 played. He also holds the 2nd position for record most wins as a test captain overseas, winning 11 out of 28 matches.

Sourav Ganguly's test stats as captain:

Read Also: Most Runs for India in Pink Ball Test

4. Mohammad Azharuddin (14 wins)

Mohammad Azharuddin is another big name to be mentioned when it comes to Test cricket captaincy for India. He served as a captain for 9 years, winning 14 matches out of 47.

Azharuddin mostly enjoyed dominating in home soil and sealing crucial victories for the team. 

Mohammad Azharuddin's test stats as captain:

5. Rohit Sharma (12 wins)

Rohit Sharma is another name for one of the most successful Test captains from India who led to 10+ victories for the team. He is the 5th captain to do so. He was also one of the most impactful opener for India in tests.

Even though Rohit's captaincy tenure was short-lived, as he decided to retire from test format on 7th May, 2025, he still managed to be on top with 12 wins in 24 matches.

Read Also: Rohit Sharma stats in Tests: Is Rohit the greatest test opener since Virender Sehwag?

Rohit Sharma'r test stats as captain 

Mohammed Siraj has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August 2025, following his match-winning performance in the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval. The right-armer, who bowled 46 overs in the Test, was also named Player of the Match for his efforts. Siraj beat competition from New Zealand pacer Matt Henry and West Indies quick Jayden Seales to clinch the monthly honour.

Let's have a look at all the Indian men's cricketers who won ICC Player of the Month award. Some have won the award more than once.

Also Read: Asia Cup Winners List from 1984 to 2023

 ICC Player of the Month Award Winners

9. Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj won the ICC Player of the Month award in August 2025. It is worth noting that Siraj’s exceptional performance in India’s tour of England and his brilliance in the clash held at The Oval were among the biggest reasons why Siraj won award. Siraj took three wickets on the final day of the last test of the series against England, which helped the Indian team register a brilliant win. 

Siraj produced a stunning nine-wicket haul across both innings to help India level the five-Test series 2-2. His second-innings burst included a decisive five-wicket haul that dismantled England’s batting order and sealed victory for the visitors.

8. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal bagged the ICC Player of the Month Award for his sensational performance in the Test series against England in March 2024. Jaiswal beat New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka for the award.

Jaiswal was also named the player of the series in England's 5-Test tour against India. The batter scored 712 runs in 5 Test matches, surpassing Virat Kohli's tally of most runs in a single Test series vs England. Jaiswal also became only the second India batter after Sunil Gavaskar to hit 700+ runs in a series.

7. Virat Kohli

Star batter Virat Kohli was named the ICC Player of the Month for October 2022 following a series of stellar performances during India's charge to the T20 World Cup semifinals in Australia. He scored 205 runs with the bat. Apart from scoring a brilliant half-century against Netherlands in Sydney, he produced an unforgettable innings in the stunning victory over Pakistan in front of a capacity crowd at the MCG to kick off their campaign in style.

At 31 for four, Kohli asserted his dominance on the opposition bowlers in a memorable display of controlled aggression, helping his side to chase down the 160 targets on the final ball, thanks to his unbeaten 82 from 53 balls.

6. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the ICC Player of the Month award in March 2021 for his superlative show in the limited overs series against England. Bhuvi took six wickets at an economy rate of 4.65 in the three ODIs, while capturing four wickets at a fantastic economy rate of 6.38 in the five T20Is to emerge as the standout bowler on either side in the white ball series. 

Bhuvneshwar became the third successive Indian recipient of the award since its inception early this year. 

5. Ravichandran Ashwin 

Ravichandran Ashwin has won the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for February 2021 after his all-round display in the Test series against England. Ashwin not only finished as the top wicket-taker in the 3-1 series win against England, but also scored his seventh Test century. 

Ashwin scored 176 runs in the three matches in February and took 24 wickets in the month. He also became the second-fastest bowler in history to 400 Test wickets, behind only Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan.

Also Read: ICC tournaments hosted by India – History & Highlights

4. Rishabh Pant

The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has won the inaugural ICC Player of the Month award 2021. Pant has been honoured for his superlative performances in the two Tests against Australia in January 2021, wherein he scored a 97 at Sydney and an unbeaten 89 at Brisbane.

Pant was chosen ahead of England captain Joe Root and Ireland's Paul Stirling in the voting to bag the award. Pant's innings helped India to become the first team in 32 years to beat Australia at the Gabba in Test cricket. 

3. Shreyas Iyer | 2 Times

Shreyas Iyer was named as ICC Men's Player of the Month twice in February 2022 and March 2025 for his performance during India's triumphant Champions Trophy 2025.

With 172 runs coming at an average of 57.33 during the final three games of the Champions Trophy, Iyer was a leading light for India as they secured a landmark third win in the competition’s history. He ended the tournament as the second-highest scorer with 243 runs at an average of 48.60.

2. Jasprit Bumrah | 2 Times

Jasprit Bumrah was crowned as the winner of the ICC Player of the Month Award for two times in December and June 2024. Bumrah won the prize twice in the calendar year. Bumrah's incredible display in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) was rewarded by the ICC in December 2024. Previously he won the top honour in June 2024 following his heroic display in the T20 World Cup 2024.

1. Shubman Gill | 4 Times

Indian Test team captain Shubman Gill was named ICC Player of the Month four times - in January 2023, September 2023, February 2025, and July 2025. He is also the first male player to win the award four times. Gill was also named in the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year in 2023.

His latest win came after an amazing performance in Test matches against England in July 2025, where he showed outstanding batting skills as India's newly appointed Test captain. 

Gill finished as the leading run scorer of the series, having scored 754 runs from ten innings at an average of 75.4 with four hundreds to his name. He started the series with a magnificent 147 at Headingley, Leeds and further accumulated 430 runs (269, 161) in the second Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham, the second-highest match aggregate in the format.

The mega clash between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 group stage will be played on 14 September. Looking at the tournament record, both teams have played 18 matches against each other. Out of these, India have won 10 while Pakistan have claimed 6 games. However, in the last 10 years, the rivalry has become one-sided, where Pakistan managed to win only once in seven showdowns.

So, before the much awaited clash begin, let's have a look at the batters with most runs in India vs Pakistan matches in Asia Cup in both ODI and T20I formats.

Also Read: Past results of India vs Pakistan in Asia Cup

Most Runs in India vs Pakistan Matches (ODI+T20I)

5. Mohammad Hafeez | 184 Runs

The former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez played three matches against India in Asia Cup and scored 184 runs at an average of 61.33 and a strike rate of 78.63. He smashed a fifty and a century each as well. 

Hafeez's highest score of 105 during Asia Cup 2012, stitched a record 224-run opening partnership with Nasir Jamshed. The opening stand is Pakistan’s highest against India eclipsing Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail’s opening stand of 144 in Singapore, back in 1996.

4. Younis Khan | 238 Runs

The former Pakistani skipper was an elegant batter with a prolific run-scoring record. He was known for his stylish stroke play and was a key performer for Pakistan against India. In 4 matches against India, Younis scored 228 runs at an average of 79.33 with a couple of half-centuries and a hundred.

His highest score of 123* came during 2008 Asia Cup, played at National Stadium in Karachi, helped Pakistan chased down the target of 309 runs for the loss of just 2 wickets in 45.3 overs. 

3. Shoaib Malik | 432 Runs

The former Pakistan all-rounder is one of the best cricketers the country has produced in the modern era. Shoaib Malik was Pakistan's crisis man as he bailed the team out of danger several times, be it with the bat or ball. While he was dangerous against every opponent, the lanky all-rounder was at his absolute best against India. 

Shoaib Malik is the only one Pakistani batsman who has scored 400+ runs against India in Asia Cup. He has scored 432 runs in 6 matches at an average of 86.30 and a strike rate of 93.70, including two centuries and one half-century. Malik's highest score of 143 came during the 2004 Asia Cup. He smashed 18 boundaries and one six during his 127-ball stay in the middle. His knock also helped the Men in Green secure a 59-run victory.

2. Rohit Sharma | 474 Runs

Joining his teammate Kohli on this list is the Indian opener, Rohit Sharma. Rohit has been a prolific scorer in limited-overs cricket, and in Asia Cup T20 matches, he has accumulated 474 runs in 12 matches against Pakistan at an average of 47.40 and a strike rate of 94.42. 

Rohit has also registered five half-centuries and one century against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. His highest score of 111* off 119 was registered during the 2018 Asia Cup edition in a game in Dubai. 

Also Read: Highest Run Scorer in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

1. Virat Kohli | 476 Runs

India's star batsman Virat Kohli is the top run-scorer against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. He has scored 476 runs in just 8 matches at an average of 68. This includes two centuries and one half century. Virat also scored a century against Pakistan in the previous match of the Asia Cup 2023. He had also led India to victory with an innings of 183 runs in 2012.

Highlighting his prowess, the most iconic of these innings is his memorable 183 in 2012, a record-setting performance that still stands as the highest individual score in the Asia Cup.

Since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has produced some brilliant batting performances, each more devastating than the other. Some batters gradually become the face of the franchise. IPL teams also heavily depend on them to deliver consistent performances and do the bulk of run-scoring.

In this article, we will take a look at those batters with nost runs in an edition of IPL.

Also Read: Most valuable player in each season of IPL

Most runs in an edition of IPL

5. Sai Sudharsan (2025) | 759 Runs

Gujarat Titans' Sai Sudhaesan surpassed 750 runs in IPL 2025 to sign off with a tally of 759 from 15 matches at 54.21. He registered his 6th fifty of the season (100s: 1). He hit 88 fours and 21 sixes, striking at 156.17.

He also won the IPL 2025 Orange Cap award. This also makes Sai Sudharsan, 23 years and 237 days old when IPL 2025 ended, the youngest IPL Orange Cap history, surpassing the previous record held by GT captain Shubman Gill, who was 23 years and 263 days old when he won the award in IPL 2023.

4. David Warner (2016) | 848 Runs

David Warner’s explosive starts at the top are something SRH fans will never forget. Warner’s meteoric rise in the IPL began with his exploits in the 2016 season, when he guided the team to the final and helped them win their first IPL trophy. Warner scored nine half-centuries in the event, averaging more than 60. He had his greatest season with the bat, scoring 848 runs in 17 matches.

Despite scoring a staggering 848 runs, Warner finished as the second-highest run-scorer in 2016 as Kohli's 973 runs trumped him.

3. Jos Buttler (2022) | 863 Runs

Jos Buttler has been a consistent performer for Rajasthan Royals ever since he signed for the team before the Indian Premier League 2018 season.

In 2022, the Englishman went on a scoring spree, notching up four hundreds and as many fifties for his tally of 863 runs that won him the Orange Cap, awarded to the leading run-scorer in IPL each season. He averaged 57.53 from 17 matches that season scoring runs at a healthy strike rate of 149.05, taking the Royals to their first final after the inaugural edition in 2008.

2. Shubman Gill (2023) | 890 Runs

Gujarat Titans talisman took his batsmanship to astronomical heights in the 2023 edition of the IPL. Shubman Gill delivered consistent batting performances throughout the season to amass a staggering 890 runs in 17 matches at an impressive average of 59.33 and a strike rate of 157.80. 

Apart from winning the coveted Orange Cap, Gill recorded the second-highest runs in a single IPL season, only behind Virat Kohli. Gill also smashed three centuries in IPL 2023, including a blazing 129 against the Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 to register the highest individual score in an IPL Playoff game. 

Also Read: Most successful teams in T20 leagues around the world

1. Virat Kohli (2016) | 973 Runs

The 2016 IPL season saw Virat Kohli elevate his batting to a level never seen before. He amassed 973 runs in 16 matches, coming agonisingly close to becoming the first player to score 1,000 runs in a single IPL season. With an average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 152.03.

Interestingly, no other batter has scored 900 or more runs in an IPL season. Kohli led RCB to the final that year as they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Cricket today is almost entirely a batsman's game. Flat pitches, small boundaries and bigger bats have tilted the game heavily in favor of the batsmen. The bowlers have got nowhere to hide and, the advent of T20s, where the batsmen go after them from the first ball itself have made it even more difficult.

The T20 format has brought about a revolution where the bowlers are more than grateful to keep the run rate down, rather than to take wickets. India made a wonderful foray into the shortest format of the game, winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Over the years India is blessed to have got some big hitters in their line up who are capable of clearing any boundary in the world.

In this article we will take a look at those batters with most sixes for India in T20Is.

Most Sixes for India in T20Is

5. Hardik Pandya | 95

Hardik Pandya debuted in T20I cricket in 2016 and swiftly established himself as a key member of India's preferred playing eleven, serving as a seam-bowling all-rounder. His T20I career reached its peak in 2024, marked by outstanding all-round performances during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, helping India clinch the title. In terms of batting, Pandya has struck 95 sixes across 90 T20I innings.

Pandya has been included in the Men in Blue's 15-member squad for this year's Asia Cup. If Pandya manages to hit five more maximums in the Asia Cup, then he will go on to surpass KL Rahul's tally of 99 sixes in the shortest format. This will see the all-rounder become the Indian player with the fourth-most sixes in T20Is.

Also Read: Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

4. KL Rahul | 99

KL Rahul, who was once a consistent member of the T20I squad now finds himself out of favour in the T20I setup. Between 2016 and 2022, he played in 72 T20I matches and mostly batted in the top three.

He hit 99 sixes in 68 T20I innings. Following the T20 World Cup 2022, he was excluded from the shortest format due to his outdated approach to T20 cricket, as he did not improve his intent and strike rate.

3. Virat Kohli | 124

The Run Machine Virat Kohli has hit 124 sixes in 117 T20I innings for India. He is one of the most consistent players in the Indian team, with an average of 48.69. He made his T20I debut for India in 2010 and since then he has been a cornerstone of India's batting. Kohli also recorded 4,188 runs in T20I format, which included 38 fifties. 

“King Kohli” was part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in June 2024. After winning the trophy, Kohli announced his retirement from the format. 

2. Suryakumar Yadav | 146*

Yet another batsman who has made six-hitting look extremely easy is India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. Despite making his T20I debut in March 2021 with a match against England, the elegant middle-order batter has already launched 146 maximums in just 79 innings for Team India.

Having the ability to hit sixes at all parts of the ground with relative ease makes Yadav, a.k.a SKY, draw a comparison with South Africa’s great AB De Villiers who was called Mr. 360 in cricket. His centuries have also come against big teams like England, South Africa, and New Zealand apart from Sri Lanka. He has hit the most number of T20I sixes against West Indies (35).  

1. Rohit Sharma | 205

Former Indian T20I captain Rohit Sharma hit the most sixes for India in T20Is, having hit 205 sixes in 159 games he played. He made his debut for India in the 2007 T20 World Cup against South Africa. However, he failed to cement his place in the team. The turnaround came in the 2013 Champions Trophy when MS Dhoni promoted him up the order to open the batting with Shikhar Dhawan.

Also Read: Most matches by an Indian in international cricket

The mighty Australians have been Rohit's favourite opponent in this format against whom he has hit 29 sixes in 23 matches with Bangladesh being the second, conceding 22 sixes off his willow. Fondly called the “Hitman”, Rohit Sharma hung up his boots from T20Is after delivering the 2024 T20 World Cup title for India.   

The Indian team has given the country and the world many great batsmen, whose batting is admired by the whole world. Whether these players are playing at home or abroad, they have shown their batting prowess everywhere.

There have been a few who have made their nation proud with record appearances in all three formats for the Indian cricket side. While some have been able to represent India in a record number of matches, others have done a significant job in all three formats, time and time again. 

In this article, we will be discussing about most matches by an Indian in international cricket.

Also Read: Can You Guess the Indian with Most ICC Appearances?

Most matches by an Indian in international cricket

1. Sachin Tendulkar | 664

Sachin Tendulkar is the player who has played the most matches for the Indian team in international cricket. From 1989 to 2013, the Master Blaster has played a total of 664 matches in international cricket, in which he has scored 34537 runs at an impressive average of 48.52. He is the only batsman to score 100 centuries in international cricket.

Tendulkar featured in 200 Test matches, where he scored 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78, while he had 51 centuries in the format. On the other hand, he made his ODI appearances in 463 games to score 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83, where he struck runs at a strike rate of 86.23. Also, he was also the first player in the format to score a double-century. Meanwhile, he also made a lone T20I appearance against South Africa in 2006.

2. Virat Kohli | 550

Virat Kohli is second in terms of playing the most number of international matches for India. Kohli, who began his international career in 2008, scored a total of 27599 runs at an average of 52.36 in 550 matches, in which 82 centuries have come from his bat. Kohli's highest score in international cricket has been 254* runs. 

Kohli has represented India in 123 Test matches, while he has made 302 and 125 appearances in ODI and T20Is. Kohli has dominated in all three formats, where ODI has been his forte with 14,180 runs at an average of 57.88, with his 51 centuries. On the other hand, he has 9,230 runs in Test cricket, while having 4,188 runs in the duration of his T20I career.

3. MS Dhoni | 535

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has retired after the 2019 World Cup from international cricket. Debuting in the year 2004, MS Dhoni went on to play 535 matches for India where he amassed a total of 17,092 runs while averaging 44.74 across formats. During this, 15 centuries have come from his bat. Under Dhoni's captaincy, the Indian team won the T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy and ODI World Cup titles.

The Indian wicketkeeper batter was the most reliable player in ODI cricket with 10,773 runs in 350 matches. While he made 90 Test appearances to score 4,876 runs, whereas he played 98 matches in the shortest format with 1,617 runs during his career.

4. Rahul Dravid | 504

Rahul Dravid has played cricket for the Indian team from 1996 to 2012. During this time, he featured in a total of 504 matches for the Men in Blue, while scoring a total of 24,064 runs at an average of 45.57. He scored 48 centuries in international cricket.

Dravid, also called as The Wall, was one of the most celebrated players of his time with 164 Test appearances powered by 344 ODI games, while he played a lone T20I match. In Test cricket, Dravid was a beast with 13,288 runs, whereas in one-day cricket, he was at his best with 10,889 runs. Dravid has also been the coach of Team India and under his coaching the Indian team won the T20 World Cup 2024 title.

Also Read: Most Test Centuries in Cricket History

5. Rohit Sharma | 499*

Rohit Sharma played his first international cricket match for the Indian team in 2007. He is just one game away from the record figure of 500 after featuring in 499 matches so far in his overall international career.

Now, Rohit has retired from T20I and Test cricket. He is currently playing in ODIs. In his combined career, Sharma has amassed 19,700 runs at an average of 42.18, while he has scored a total of 49 centuries in all forms of the game for India.

Additionally, Rohit led India to back-to-back two ICC trophies, the 2024 T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy 2025. He has five centuries in the T20I format for India. Moreover, with 11,168 runs in 273 ODIs, he is also one of the top-notch run-scorers.