NEW DELHI: In 2025, Indian cricket entered a new leadership phase, with three different captains across formats. Ahead of the five-Test series in England, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket, paving the way for Shubman Gill to take over as India’s red-ball skipper. Gill’s first assignment as Test captain came in the high-profile England tour. While Rohit continues to lead the ODI side, Suryakumar Yadav has been entrusted with the T20I captaincy.But has India ever had one captain leading all three formats? The answer is yes — on multiple occasions.MS DHONI (2008–2017)Mahendra Singh Dhoni became India’s all-format leader after Anil Kumble retired from Tests in 2008. He captained the team in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is until stepping away from Test cricket on December 30, 2014, after the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne. Dhoni relinquished the ODI and T20I captaincy on January 4, 2017.
| MS Dhoni – captaincy record | |
|---|---|
| Span | 2007–2018 |
| Matches | 332 |
| Won | 178 |
| Lost | 120 |
| Tied | 6 |
| Draw | 15 |
| No Result (NR) | 13 |
| Win/Loss Ratio (W/L) | 1.48 |
| % Wins | 53.61 |
| % Losses | 36.14 |
Between 2007 and 2018, Dhoni led India in 332 international matches. His record included 178 wins, 120 losses, 6 ties, 15 draws, and 13 no-results. That translated to a win–loss ratio of 1.48 and a win percentage of 53.61%. Overall, factoring in draws and ties, his teams avoided defeat in 59.53% of matches.VIRAT KOHLI (2017–2021)Virat Kohli became India’s full-time captain in all formats in early 2017 after Dhoni stepped down from limited-overs leadership. He led until the end of the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, where he stepped down from the T20 role. In 2022, the BCCI removed him as ODI captain, and soon after, Kohli resigned from Test captaincy following a 2-1 series defeat to South Africa.
| Virat Kohli- captaincy record | |
|---|---|
| Span | 2013–2022 |
| Matches | 213 |
| Won | 135 |
| Lost | 60 |
| Tied | 3 |
| Draw | 11 |
| No Result (NR) | 4 |
| Win/Loss Ratio (W/L) | 2.25 |
| % Wins | 63.38 |
| % Losses | 28.16 |
From 2013 to 2022, Kohli captained India in 213 matches across formats, securing 135 wins against 60 defeats, along with 3 ties, 4 no-results, and 11 Test draws. His win–loss ratio of 2.25 reflected India’s dominance under his watch, with a win percentage of 63.38% and an overall success rate of 68.93% — one of the highest in Indian cricket history.ROHIT SHARMA (2022–2024)Rohit Sharma first took over the T20I captaincy after the 2021 T20 World Cup, before also being appointed ODI skipper in January 2022. When Kohli stepped down from the Test role later that year, Rohit became the all-format leader. His tenure saw notable triumphs, including the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
| Rohit Sharma- captaincy record | |
|---|---|
| Span | 2017–2025 |
| Matches | 142 |
| Won | 103 |
| Lost | 33 |
| Tied | 2 |
| Draw | 3 |
| No Result (NR) | 1 |
| Win/Loss Ratio (W/L) | 3.12 |
| % Wins | 72.53 |
| % Losses | 23.23 |
Rohit retired from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup victory and stepped away from Test cricket ahead of the 2025 England series. Between 2017 and 2025, he led India in 142 matches, winning 103, losing 33, tying 2, drawing 3, and with just 1 no-result. His win–loss ratio of 3.12 and win percentage of 72.53% make him one of India’s most successful captains, with his teams avoiding defeat in 75.36% of matches.
