Indian Cricket Captains’ Legacy: CK Nayudu to Shubman Gill - Best11.in

Early Beginnings

In 1926, CK Nayudu's performance of 153 runs started discussions about India's Test debut. With the formation of BCCI in 1928, discussions about the first captain became active. To avoid religious controversies, Douglas Jardine was initially considered, followed by Senior Pataudi, but Pataudi's name was rejected as he had played for England.

The First Test Captain

Finally, the Maharaja of Porbandar received the captaincy position for the Indian team that departed for England on April 2, 1932. Here, importance was given to his speaking ability rather than his excellence on the field. However, after reaching England, it was realized that the Maharaja's leadership qualities were inadequate for the captain's position.

One day before India's first Test match, the Maharaja was informed that he could not lead the team, and CK Nayudu was appointed as the new captain. On June 25, 1932, 37-year-old CK Nayudu stepped onto the field with Douglas George. India had to lose the first Test match. Under Nayudu's leadership, India could not win even a single match. However, Indian cricket gained discipline and the ability to hold ground on the field through Nayudu's captaincy.

Post-Independence Era

After Nayudu, the Maharajkumar of Vizianagaram led India in the 1936 England tour. During this tour, several controversies arose in Indian cricket, including the incident of sending back Amarnath.

Later, Aliakhan Pataudi became the Indian captain. After India gained independence in 1947, Lala Amarnath was appointed as the first captain of independent India. Lala Amarnath was the captain who gave India its first victories, including wins against Pakistan. He led India for six years.

The Modern Captains

After that, Vijay Hazare became the new captain of the Indian Test team. Under Hazare, who led India in 14 matches, India managed to achieve one victory against England. Then Vinoo Mankad became India's next Test captain. Under his leadership, India could not win even a single match.

In 1958, Mankad had to step down from the captaincy during the Test series against the West Indies. In the 1960s, Indian cricket got an excellent player and captain in Nari Contractor. After Contractor, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi became the captain of the Indian team. Pataudi, who took over the captaincy at a very young age, taught India to fight and win abroad. Under his leadership, India played 40 Test matches and won nine of them.

The Golden Generation

In 1971, Ajit Wadekar became India's new captain. He carried forward Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi's tradition in the West Indies and England. After Wadekar, Srinivasan Venkataraghavan was the first specialist bowler to lead India. Later, Sunil Gavaskar led the Indian team. Bishan Singh Bedi and Gundappa Viswanath also led the team during this period.

In 1984, Kapil Dev became India's Test captain. Later, Dilip Vengsarkar and Ravi Shastri also led India. In 1989, during the Test series between India and Pakistan, Krishnamachari Srikkanth was India's captain. It was through this series that Sachin Tendulkar made his international debut.

The Modern Era Success Stories

India's 25th Test captain was Mohammad Azharuddin. He led India for about seven years and became the first captain to bring India's Test victories to double digits by winning 14 out of 47 Test matches. After Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar became India's captain, but it turned out to be a poor phase in his career.

In the new millennium, India got its best-ever captain in Sourav Ganguly. Under Ganguly's leadership, India played 49 Test matches and won 21 of them. After Ganguly, Rahul Dravid became India's captain. Under his leadership, India won a series in the West Indies after 35 years. India's first Test victory in South Africa was also under Dravid's captaincy.

Later, Anil Kumble became captain, but he got only three victories from 14 matches. After Anil Kumble retired, India got its most beloved and greatest captain in Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Under Dhoni's captaincy, India became the world's number one Test team. Dhoni led India to victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy.

Recent Leadership

After Dhoni retired, Virat Kohli became the captain of the Indian team. Kohli became the most successful Indian captain during his captaincy period. He led India in 68 matches and won 40 of them. After Virat Kohli, the Indian Test team had various captains.

Ajinkya Rahane excellently led the team in Kohli's absence and gave India a historic series victory in Australia. Later, Rohit Sharma took over the team's captaincy. Under his leadership, India delivered excellent performances and reached the World Test Championship final.

Currently, Shubman Gill is holding the captaincy position of the Indian Test team. Under his leadership, India achieved a historic victory at Edgbaston and became a promise for the future of the Indian cricket team.