Cricket is not just a sport in India but it takes a whole new level in the country. With a population of more than 1 billion people, Cricket travels through every community uniting all sections of the society. The Indian team has had its moments that remain etched on the heart of the cricket fans. Whether it be its first World Cup victory or the T20 matches, Indian captains have led the team to its deserved spot.
Kapil Dev:
Kapil Dev is mostly remembered for the feat he achieved in 1983. He led India to win its first World Cup against West Indies. All-rounder Kapil Dev in 1978 against Pakistan and on 11 March 2010 Kapil was inducted in ICC Hall of Fame. Though Kapil was replaced by Sunil Gavaskar in 1984, his achievement as one of the best all-rounder of the Indian Cricket team and the captain who secured India’s first World Cup will go down in the history books forever.
Saurav Ganguly:
Ganguly is considered one of the most successful captains in the entire history of Indian cricket. He is also the most successful Indian captain on foreign turf having 11 wins. Apart from being the fastest batsman to score 9000 ODI runs, Saurav Ganguly created a new image of India. India remained a strong team on home turf but after Ganguly took its leadership, it showed its prowess on the foreign grounds also adding to the overall goodwill of the team. Though he has a series of world records to his name but the most fascinating of them being the highest overall partnership score in the World Cup tournament history. His partnership with Rahul Dravid ended up scoring 318 runs in the 1999 Cricket World Cup.
Muhammad Azharuddin:
Muhammad is not just known for his talented batting but also for the leadership he provided. He remained an asset of the team on the field too. He is considered one of the most successful captains of the team with 103 wins in his bag. Though the player hiked to popularity within no time, his downfall came in later years, but for the cricketing audience, he continues to be mentioned with honor.
Sunil Gavaskar:
Gavaskar wanted to be a wrestler but fate had something else in the plan. In his school days, Gavaskar became involved with the sport and won India’s Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the year in 1966. In his first test debut, he scored 65 and 67 not out against West Indies. He has the record of 774 runs, that included 4 centuries and 3 half-centuries in a debut series. Apart from a mind-blowing batsman, he was also the first Indian Wicketkeeper to take over a hundred matches in Test cricket.
MS Dhoni:
MS Dhoni is the luckiest and the most skilled captain India will ever get. During his leadership, India not only climbed new heights but brought tremendous repute to the home country. He led the team to the victory of its first 2007 T20 World Cup held in South Africa. Apart from winning Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he went to become the top batsman in the ICC rankings. Recording wins after wins, India secured the 2011 World Cup and broke the silence that has settled after 1983.
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