Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma vs MS Dhoni – Who was the better Test captain among these?

India's most cherished Captains: Dhoni, Kohli, and Rohit

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni are three of the most revered Indian captains of all time. They are also among the most influential sports personalities in India. During their captaincy days, India enjoyed phenomenal success, achieving milestones in all formats of the game.

MS Dhoni: The key architect of India's white-ball dominance

Dhoni began his captaincy tenure for India by leading the team to victory in the T20 World Cup in 2007. He further guided the Men in Blue to the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. However, his record in Test matches was not as impressive.

The wicketkeeper-batter captained India in 60 Tests, winning 27, losing 18, and drawing 15. MS Dhoni established India's dominance on home soil in red-ball cricket, with 21 of his 27 wins coming at home. However, India did suffer a home series defeat to England in 2012 under his leadership. His overseas record was far less impressive, with humiliating 0-4 losses in both England and Australia in 2011.

Virat Kohli: Redefining India's Test cricket

Kohli took over as India's Test skipper in 2014. From the very start, he made it clear that his players would always strive for wins rather than settle for draws. While the aggressive brand of cricket played under Virat Kohli's leadership did not earn a specific title like 'Kohliball', it certainly made Test cricket more thrilling for Indian fans.

Kohli's captaincy saw India assert their dominance not just on home soil but also in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) conditions. One of his most iconic wins came in Adelaide in 2018, where India defeated Australia by 31 runs in the first Test, setting the stage for India's historic first-ever Test series win in Australia.

India also created history under Kohli's captaincy with their largest winning margin in Test history—an innings and 272 runs against the West Indies in Rajkot in 2018. Another standout performance was India's remarkable 151-run win over England at Lord's in 2021. Despite not winning an ICC title, Kohli led India to the finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy and the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021.

Rohit Sharma: A Short but eventful leadership stint

Sharma did not have an extended captaincy career for India. He took over from Kohli in all formats in 2022. He retired from T20Is after leading India to the T20 World Cup title last year. In 2025, Rohit Sharma captained India to their first Champions Trophy victory since 2013.

However, his overall Test captaincy record was less remarkable. Rohit became the first Indian captain in 12 years to lose a home Test series, suffering a 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand. Under his leadership, India won 12 out of 24 matches, lost nine, and drew three. His most significant achievement as a Test captain was a 2-1 series win at home against Australia in 2023.

Records in SENA countries

Virat Kohli led India to seven wins out of 24 matches in SENA countries, the most by any Indian captain in these challenging conditions. MS Dhoni, in comparison, captained India in 23 Tests with only three wins and 14 losses. Rohit Sharma had a limited run, leading India in just six matches, winning one and losing four.

As batters, both Kohli and Dhoni excelled with the captaincy mantle. Kohli's average shot up from 37.40 as a player to 54.80 as captain. Dhoni also saw an improvement, averaging 40.63 as captain compared to 33.06 as a non-captain. Rohit, on the other hand, averaged 30.58 as captain compared to 46.87 when not leading the side.

Kohli remains India's most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches. His passion and relentless drive to win set him apart. His fearless style of captaincy ensured that Test matches rarely meandered into draws—a quality that sometimes eluded both his predecessor and successor.