A cricket captain plays a very important role at crucial times when he has to lead the team during tough times toward victory. While tactics for matches are definitely part of a captain's duties, he also plays the role of motivation to team members and an anchor during down times.

Here follows a glimpse at the five topmost successful cricket captains of India, whose leadership and accomplishments are such that they have left an indelible mark in the annals of the Indian game with respect to world view points. These captains have, through the iconic sums of victories, left an extremely big footprint of record-setting over the world stage in Indian cricket's history.

5. Rohit Sharma

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Initially serving as vice-captain, Rohit Sharma assumed full-time captaincy after Virat Kohli stepped down in 2022. Under his leadership, India reached the finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2021–23 World Test Championship. He also guided the team to two Asia Cup victories and led India to their first ICC T20 World Cup title in 2024.

4. Kapil Dev

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Kapil Dev singularised himself as an Indian cricket legend for having led the team to its maiden World Cup glory in 1983, which, as if by magic, sent cricket into a frenzy throughout the length and breadth of the country. Kapil himself took at the age of 24, leading India in 108 matches through 1982 to 1987, and bringing home 43 match wins, thereby establishing himself as perhaps the greatest captain of all time in India.

3. Sourav Ganguly

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Sourav Ganguly was known for his fearless and aggressive captaincy. He took over as captain in 2001 after Sachin Tendulkar stepped down. Some of the noteworthy accomplishments of his captaincy include leading India to the 2003 World Cup final and winning the 2005 unforgettable Natwest Trophy final. Ganguly captained the team from 1999 to 2005, claiming 97 victories in 195 matches across all formats, gaining immense respect as a transformational leader.

2. Virat Kohli

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Virat Kohli’s captaincy era began in 2014 when he replaced MS Dhoni as Test captain. Known for his aggressive and passionate leadership, Kohli led India to historic success, including back-to-back victories in Australia and dominance at home as he excelled in limited-overs formats and won all Army in South Africa. Despite not having an ICC medal, Kohli has led India to several finals and semi-finals, a staggering 135 wins in 213 matches before he retires in 2022.

1. MS Dhoni

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Embracing a calm mind with a strategist's approach, MS Dhoni is, arguably, India's best cricket captain ever, with many milestones to his credit, like the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy. Leadership went on to boast of 178 wins in 332 matches-from 2007 to 2016, with thousands of unforgettable moments that secured his position in the annals of cricketing legends.