Stats: Full list of India's Test captains thus far

Unlike Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahane may not get a lot of opportunities as captain

If playing for the country in Test cricket is a rare privilege, then getting the opportunity to lead is a sacrosanct achievement. With regular skipper Virat Kohli not quite willing to risk his shoulder injury in the series decider against Australia in Dharamsala, Ajinkya Rahane has become only the 33^rd player to captain India in the longest format of the game. 

The soft-spoken Mumbaikar joined an illustrious list comprising some of India’s greatest ever cricketers. Even though he filled in for Kohli at various stages of the third Test in Ranchi, Rahane officially entered the pantheon of legends when he wore the distinguished dark blue blazer and walked out for the toss.

With the snow-clad Himalayan peaks providing a fitting background, he accomplished the dream of every aspiring player.

In almost 85 years, India have played 512 Tests (including the Dharamsala match) and won 138 of those. MS Dhoni has contributed to the highest number of those victories (27) as captain. Even though Sourav Ganguly is a distant second in the table with 21 triumphs, his win-loss ratio of 1.61 is slightly better than that of the wicket-keeper batsman’s 1.50.

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Despite leading India in only 26 Tests thus far, Kohli already has 16 victories to his name at a staggering win-loss ratio of 5.33. Although gruelling overseas tours will be on his agenda from the end of this year, the 28-year-old’s remarkable captaincy record continues to raise hopes.

Among those of yore, Sunil Gavaskar led India in 47 Tests during one of the toughest eras in the game and yet managed to walk away with an impressive win-loss record of 1.12. When Indian cricket was still searching for its identity, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi formed a menacing spin quartet to notch nine wins.

Even though the table might not reveal the entire picture, Ajit Wadekar’s four Test victories encompass series triumphs in England and West Indies. From CK Nayudu to the latest entrant in Rahane, the legacy lives on.

Full List of India's Test Captains

Player	Captaincy Span	Matches	Won	Lost	Draw	Tied	Win-Loss Ratio
CK Nayudu	1932-34	4	0	3	1	0	0
Maharajah of Vizianagram	1936	3	0	2	1	0	0
Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi	1946	3	0	1	2	0	0
Lala  Amarnath	1947-52	15	2	6	7	0	0.33
Vijay Hazare	1951-53	14	1	5	8	0	0.20
Vinoo Mankad	1955-59	6	0	1	5	0	0
Ghulam Ahmed	1955-59	3	0	2	1	0	0
Polly Umrigar	1955-58	8	2	2	4	0	1.00
Hemu Adhikari	1959	1	0	0	1	0	0
Datta Gaekwad	1959	4	0	4	0	0	0
Pankaj Roy	1959	1	0	1	0	0	0
Gulabrai Ramchand	1959-60	5	1	2	2	0	0.50
Nari Contractor	1960-62	12	2	2	8	0	1.00
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi	1962-75	40	9	19	12	0	0.47
Chandu Borde	1967	1	0	1	0	0	0
Ajit Wadekar	1971-74	16	4	4	8	0	1
Srinivas Venkataraghavan	1974-79	5	0	2	3	0	0
Sunil Gavaskar	1976-85	47	9	8	30	0	1.12
Bishen Singh Bedi	1976-78	22	6	11	5	0	0.54
Gundappa Viswanath	1980	2	0	1	1	0	0
Kapil Dev	1983-87	34	4	7	22	1	0.57
Dilip Vengsarkar	1987-89	10	2	5	3	0	0.40
Ravi Shastri	1988	1	1	0	0	0	------
Krishnamachari Srikkanth	1989	4	0	0	4	0	0
Mohammad Azharuddin	1990-99	47	14	14	19	0	1
Sachin Tendulkar	1996-2000	25	4	9	12	0	0.44
Sourav Ganguly	2000-05	49	21	13	15	0	1.61
Rahul Dravid	2003-07	25	8	6	11	0	1.33
Virender Sehwag	2005-12	4	2	2	1	0	2
Anil Kumble	2007-08	14	3	5	6	0	0.60
MS Dhoni	2008-14	60	27	18	15	0	1.50
Virat Kohli	2014-present	26	16	3	7	0	5.33
*Ajinkya Rahane	2017-present	1	-----	------	------	------	------

(*Note: All Statistics are as of 25^th March, 2017)