Who is youngest Test captain? Full list of India Test captains & records
The youngest Indian to ever lead the Test team remains Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who captained India at just 21 years and 77 days against the West Indies in 1962.
 "Who is youngest Test captain? Full list of India Test captains & records")
Shubman Gill is set to enter the record books as the fifth-youngest player to captain India in Test cricket when he leads the side in the opening match of the five-Test series against England at Leeds on June 20.
At 25 years and 285 days, the Punjab-born batter takes over the reins following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the longest format earlier this month.
The youngest Indian to ever lead the Test team remains Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who captained India at just 21 years and 77 days against the West Indies in 1962.
India’s Youngest Test Captains (by age at debut as captain)
- Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi – 21 years, 77 days (vs West Indies, Bridgetown, March 23, 1962)
- Sachin Tendulkar – 23 years, 169 days (vs Australia, Delhi, October 10, 1996)
- Kapil Dev – 24 years, 48 days (vs West Indies, Kingston, February 23, 1983)
- Ravi Shastri – 25 years, 229 days (vs West Indies, Chennai, January 11, 1988)
- Shubman Gill – 25 years, 285 days (vs England, Leeds, June 20, 2025)
Who has captained India in the most Test matches?
Virat Kohli holds the record with 68 Tests as captain (2014–2022), followed by MS Dhoni (60 Tests, 2008–2014), and Sourav Ganguly (49 Tests, 2000–2005). Which captain has the highest win percentage?
| Among those who captained in at least 10 Tests: | |||
| Captain | Matches | Wins | Win % |
| Virat Kohli | 68 | 40 | 58.82% |
| MS Dhoni | 60 | 27 | 45.00% |
| Sourav Ganguly | 49 | 21 | 42.85% |
| Note: Ravi Shastri, Ajinkya Rahane, and KL Rahul have higher win % (100%/66.66%) in very short stints (≤3 matches), which are statistically less reliable. | |||
Who has the best W/L ratio?
- Virat Kohli again leads with a W/L ratio of 2.35, meaning for every Test lost, India won more than twice under his captaincy.
- KL Rahul has a W/L of 2, but over just 3 matches.
- MS Dhoni follows with a W/L of 1.5.
Which Indian captain had the longest continuous stint?
Azharuddin captained India from 1990–1999, leading in 47 Tests, making him one of the longest-serving captains in terms of time span.
Who are India’s most balanced captains? | Captains with nearly equal wins and losses (indicative of steady leadership during rebuilding phases): | |||||
| Captain | Span | Matches | Wins | Losses | Draws |
| AL Wadekar | 1971–1974 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| M Azharuddin | 1990–1999 | 47 | 14 | 14 | 19 |
| PR Umrigar | 1955–1958 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Who were some unsuccessful captains?
Captains with no wins:
- K Srikkanth (4 matches, 4 draws)
- MH Mankad, P Roy, DK Gaekwad, CG Borde, NJ Contractor, among others, all had winless captaincy spells.
- CK Nayudu, India’s first captain, also had no wins in 4 matches.
| Who captained India in the fewest Tests? | ||
| Captain | Matches | Notable Fact |
| RJ Shastri | 1 | Won his only Test as captain |
| CG Borde, P Roy, HR Adhikari | 1 | All captained only once |
Who were the standout part-time or interim captains?
- Ajinkya Rahane (2017–2021): Undefeated in 6 matches with 4 wins.
- KL Rahul (2022): 2 wins out of 3.
- Sehwag: Led briefly (4 matches) with a solid W/L of 2.
| How has recent leadership fared? | ||||
| Captain | Matches | Wins | Win % | W/L |
| Rohit Sharma | 24 | 12 | 50% | 1.33 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 3 | 1 | 33.33% | 0.5 |
| KL Rahul | 3 | 2 | 66.66% | 2 |
Which captain had the most drawn matches?
- Sunil Gavaskar (30 draws in 47 matches).
- Kapil Dev (22 draws in 34 matches).
- Reflects the nature of Test cricket in the 70s–80s when draws were frequent.
| Youngest Test captain in cricket | |||||
| Player | Age | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date |
| Rashid Khan | 20y 350d | Afghanistan | v Bangladesh | Chattogram | 5 Sep 2019 |
| T Taibu | 20y 358d | Zimbabwe | v Sri Lanka | Harare | 6 May 2004 |
| Nawab of Pataudi | 21y 77d | India | v West Indies | Bridgetown | 23 Mar 1962 |
| Waqar Younis | 22y 15d | Pakistan | v Zimbabwe | Karachi | 1 Dec 1993 |
| GC Smith | 22y 82d | South Africa | v Bangladesh | Chattogram | 24 Apr 2003 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | 22y 115d | Bangladesh | v West Indies | St George's | 17 Jul 2009 |
| ID Craig | 22y 194d | Australia | v South Africa | Johannesburg | 23 Dec 1957 |
| Javed Miandad | 22y 260d | Pakistan | v Australia | Karachi | 27 Feb 1980 |
| M Bisset | 22y 306d | South Africa | v England | Johannesburg | 14 Feb 1899 |
| Mohammad Ashraful | 22y 353d | Bangladesh | v Sri Lanka | Colombo (SSC) | 25 Jun 2007 |
| MP Bowden | 23y 144d | England | v South Africa | Cape Town | 25 Mar 1889 |
| SR Tendulkar | 23y 169d | India | v Australia | Delhi | 10 Oct 1996 |
| GC Grant | 23y 217d | West Indies | v Australia | Adelaide | 12 Dec 1930 |
| Hon.IFW Bligh | 23y 292d | England | v Australia | Melbourne | 30 Dec 1882 |
| SP Fleming | 23y 319d | New Zealand | v England | Christchurch | 14 Feb 1997 |
| JO Holder | 23y 343d | West Indies | v Sri Lanka | Galle | 14 Oct 2015 |
| ADR Campbell | 23y 354d | Zimbabwe | v Sri Lanka | Colombo (RPS) | 11 Sep 1996 |
| Javed Burki | 24y 23d | Pakistan | v England | Birmingham | 31 May 1962 |
| N Kapil Dev | 24y 48d | India | v West Indies | Kingston | 23 Feb 1983 |
| DJ Bravo | 24y 95d | West Indies | v South Africa | Durban | 10 Jan 2008 |
| WJ Cronje | 24y 125d | South Africa | v Australia | Adelaide | 28 Jan 1994 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim | 24y 165d | Bangladesh | v West Indies | Chattogram | 21 Oct 2011 |
| IT Botham | 24y 194d | England | v West Indies | Nottingham | 5 Jun 1980 |
| HW Taylor | 24y 222d | South Africa | v England | Durban | 13 Dec 1913 |
| BA Murphy | 24y 342d | Zimbabwe | v Bangladesh | Dhaka | 8 Nov 2001 |
| KC Brathwaite | 25y 8d | West Indies | v New Zealand | Hamilton | 9 Dec 2017 |
| DB Carr | 25y 40d | England | v India | Chennai | 6 Feb 1952 |
| KJ Hughes | 25y 57d | Australia | v Pakistan | W.A.C.A | 24 Mar 1979 |
| AN Cook | 25y 77d | England | v Bangladesh | Chattogram | 12 Mar 2010 |
| MV Boucher | 25y 81d | South Africa | v Australia | Johannesburg | 22 Feb 2002 |
| Najmul Hossain Shanto | 25y 95d | Bangladesh | v New Zealand | Sylhet | 28 Nov 2023 |
| DS Sheppard | 25y 117d | England | v Pakistan | Nottingham | 1 Jul 1954 |
| DI Gower | 25y 133d | England | v Pakistan | Lord's | 12 Aug 1982 |
| MA Atherton | 25y 135d | England | v Australia | Birmingham | 5 Aug 1993 |
| PW Sherwell | 25y 138d | South Africa | v England | Johannesburg | 2 Jan 1906 |
| PBH May | 25y 160d | England | v South Africa | Nottingham | 9 Jun 1955 |
| BRM Taylor | 25y 179d | Zimbabwe | v Bangladesh | Harare | 4 Aug 2011 |
| SPD Smith | 25y 198d | Australia | v India | Brisbane | 17 Dec 2014 |
| A Flower | 25y 217d | Zimbabwe | v Pakistan | Karachi | 1 Dec 1993 |
| HB Cameron | 25y 223d | South Africa | v England | Johannesburg | 13 Feb 1931 |
| RJ Shastri | 25y 229d | India | v West Indies | Chennai | 11 Jan 1988 |
| CA Smith | 25y 234d | England | v South Africa | Gqeberha | 12 Mar 1889 |
| Shoaib Malik | 25y 242d | Pakistan | v South Africa | Karachi | 1 Oct 2007 |
| JM Parker | 25y 252d | New Zealand | v Pakistan | Karachi | 30 Oct 1976 |
| Mashrafe Mortaza | 25y 277d | Bangladesh | v West Indies | Kingstown | 9 Jul 2009 |
| AD Mathews | 25y 279d | Sri Lanka | v Bangladesh | Galle | 8 Mar 2013 |
| Salman Butt | 25y 287d | Pakistan | v Australia | Leeds | 21 Jul 2010 |
| PA de Silva | 25y 309d | Sri Lanka | v England | Lord's | 22 Aug 1991 |
| Khaled Mashud | 25y 313d | Bangladesh | v New Zealand | Hamilton | 18 Dec 2001 |
| WL Murdoch | 25y 324d | Australia | v England | The Oval | 6 Sep 1880 |
| APF Chapman | 25y 345d | England | v Australia | The Oval | 14 Aug 1926 |
| KS Williamson | 25y 355d | New Zealand | v Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 28 Jul 2016 |
| Full list of India Test captains | ||||||||||||
| Player | Span | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | NR | W/L | %W | %L | %NR | % |
| AL Wadekar | 1971-1974 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 25 | - | 50 |
| V Kohli | 2014-2022 | 68 | 40 | 17 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 2.35 | 58.82 | 25 | - | 70.17 |
| NJ Contractor | 1960-1962 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 16.66 | 16.66 | - | 50 |
| SM Gavaskar | 1976-1985 | 47 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 1.12 | 19.14 | 17.02 | - | 52.94 |
| K Srikkanth | 1989-1989 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - |
| M Azharuddin | 1990-1999 | 47 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 29.78 | 29.78 | - | 50 |
| L Amarnath | 1947-1952 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0.33 | 13.33 | 40 | - | 25 |
| MH Mankad | 1955-1959 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 16.66 | - | - |
| GS Ramchand | 1959-1960 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 20 | 40 | - | 33.33 |
| BS Bedi | 1976-1978 | 22 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0.54 | 27.27 | 50 | - | 35.29 |
| JJ Bumrah | 2022-2025 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 33.33 | 66.66 | - | 33.33 |
| R Dravid | 2003-2007 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1.33 | 32 | 24 | - | 57.14 |
| RG Sharma | 2022-2024 | 24 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1.33 | 50 | 37.5 | - | 57.14 |
| MS Dhoni | 2008-2014 | 60 | 27 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1.5 | 45 | 30 | - | 60 |
| N Kapil Dev | 1983-1987 | 34 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 0.57 | 11.76 | 20.58 | - | 37.5 |
| SR Tendulkar | 1996-2000 | 25 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0.44 | 16 | 36 | - | 30.76 |
| SC Ganguly | 2000-2005 | 49 | 21 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1.61 | 42.85 | 26.53 | - | 61.76 |
| CK Nayudu | 1932-1934 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 75 | - | - |
| MAK Pataudi | 1962-1975 | 40 | 9 | 19 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0.47 | 22.5 | 47.5 | - | 32.14 |
| S Venkataraghavan | 1974-1979 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 40 | - | - |
| DB Vengsarkar | 1987-1989 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.4 | 20 | 50 | - | 28.57 |
| RJ Shastri | 1988-1988 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 100 | - | - | 100 |
| VS Hazare | 1951-1953 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0.2 | 7.14 | 35.71 | - | 16.66 |
| Ghulam Ahmed | 1955-1959 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 66.66 | - | - |
| KL Rahul | 2022-2022 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 66.66 | 33.33 | - | 66.66 |
| AM Rahane | 2017-2021 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 66.66 | - | - | 100 |
| Vizianagram | 1936-1936 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 66.66 | - | - |
| GR Viswanath | 1980-1980 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 50 | - | - |
| PR Umrigar | 1955-1958 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 25 | - | 50 |
| A Kumble | 2007-2008 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.6 | 21.42 | 35.71 | - | 37.5 |
| Nawab of Pataudi | 1946-1946 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 33.33 | - | - |
| V Sehwag | 2005-2012 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 25 | - | 66.66 |
| P Roy | 1959-1959 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 100 | - | - |
| DK Gaekwad | 1959-1959 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | |||