• Wion
  • /Photos
  • /Who are three Indian captains apart from Kohli, Dhoni and Rohit to lead in all three formats?

Who are three Indian captains apart from Kohli, Dhoni and Rohit to lead in all three formats?

From Virat Kohli to Rohit Sharma, meet the six Indian captains who have led in all three formats. These six Indian legends have always performed in crunch situations for the team. 

Virender Sehwag
1 / 6
(Photograph: AFP)

Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag was the first Indian to lead the team in all formats. He captained in four Tests, 12 ODIs (2005), and India's first-ever T20I in 2006. Notably, Sehwag is the only Indian player in Test cricket to smash triple hundreds twice. Sehwag holds the record for the most runs in an innings by a captain in ODIs. In 2011, he smashed 219 against the West Indies in Indore.

MS Dhoni
2 / 6
(Photograph: AFP)

MS Dhoni

Former India skipper MS Dhoni is the most successful white ball captain for India. He led the team to major victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Dhoni was known to change the course of the game from behind the stumps and has 829 dismissals in international cricket.

Virat Kohli
3 / 6
(Photograph: AFP)

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli became the captain Indian after MS Dhoni. One of his most significant achievements was leading India to a historic Test series victory in Australia (2018). Although he did not win an ICC trophy, Kohli's legacy in Indian cricket stands tall.

Rohit Sharma
4 / 6
(Photograph: AFP)

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma was the second successful white ball captain for India. He led India to the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy titles. Rohit also holds the record for the most hundreds (5) in an ODI World Cup. After retiring from Test and T20I cricket, the mission for Rohit Sharma will be to win the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Ajinkya Rahane
5 / 6
(Photograph: AFP)

Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane has captained India in six Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is. He won all three ODIs he captained and famously guided India to victory in the 2020/21 Test series in Australia. Rahane was also a long-time Test vice-captain. Notably, Rahane is one of the few Indians to smash a hundred at Lord's in Test cricket.

KL Rahul
6 / 6
(Photograph: AFP)

KL Rahul

KL Rahul captained India in three Tests, 12 ODIs and one T20I. KL Rahul is a very versatile player and always plays according to the team's requirements. Rahul has around 8940 runs in international cricket with 19 hundreds and 58 half-centuries