Indian cricket team have become a powerhouse in Tests since the turn of the century. From earning the Test maces (World No. 1 Test team) under MS Dhoni's captaincy, to featuring in back-to-back World Test Championship (WTC) finals, the Asian giants have taken leaps in the longest format.
MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma are the modern-day greats in terms of leadership acumen that India has had at its disposal. However, with wins, come losses. As India emerged as a leading contender for titles in the red-ball format, the team has stumbled upon many times, to better oppositions.
Here is the list of Test captains with most losses for India.
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Which Test captain has lost the most games for India?
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi has lost the most Tests for India. Having made 46 appearances in his career, Pataudi captained in 40 games, between 1962 and 1975. Mansoor Ali Khan lost 47.50% of his matches as captain, with 19 losses and nine wins in total.
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List of Indian captains with most losses in Tests
| Player | Time span | Matches as Captain | Wins | Losses | Draws | Loss % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi | 1962-1975 | 40 | 9 | 19 | 12 | 47.50 |
| MS Dhoni | 2008-2014 | 60 | 27 | 18 | 15 | 30.00 |
| Virat Kohli | 2014-2022 | 68 | 40 | 17 | 11 | 25.00 |
| Mohammad Azharuddin | 1990-1999 | 47 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 29.78 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 2000-2005 | 49 | 21 | 13 | 15 | 26.53 |
The current Indian captain, Rohit Sharma has lost four out of his 16 Test matches as captain. Rohit has a loss record of 25% so far and will captain India in the upcoming series against Bangladesh, starting in September 2024.
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