Indian cricket has a long history of great batsmen, many of whom have also been team captains. Since India played its first Test cricket match in 1932, 36 players have captained the team. Among them, only Jasprit Bumrah was a fast bowler; the rest were mostly batsmen, with a few wicket-keepers and all-rounders.
Many Indian captains have played well and scored big runs. Five of them have even scored over 200 runs in one innings while leading the team.
Let’s look at the top five highest scores by Indian captains in Test cricket.
5. Sachin Tendulkar – 217 vs New Zealand (1999)
Sachin Tendulkar’s best score as a captain was 217 runs against New Zealand in 1999 in Ahmedabad. India batted first and made a big score of 583 runs for 7 wickets declared. Tendulkar hit 29 boundaries, and Sourav Ganguly also scored a century. New Zealand scored 308 runs, and even though India set a tough target, the match ended in a draw.
4. MS Dhoni – 224 vs Australia (2013)
In 2013, MS Dhoni played an amazing game against Australia in Chennai. He scored 224 runs off 265 balls, hitting 24 fours and 6 sixes. This helped India reach a big score of 572, chasing Australia’s 380. India bowled out Australia for 241 runs in their second innings and easily chased down a target of 50 runs to win the match.
3. Virat Kohli – 235 vs England (2016)
Virat Kohli, known for being a consistent batsman, scored 235 runs against England in 2016 at the Wankhede Stadium. England made 400 runs in their first innings, but Kohli’s great performance, along with centuries from Murali Vijay and Jayant Yadav, helped India score 631 runs. India won the match by an innings and 36 runs.
2. Virat Kohli – 243 vs Sri Lanka (2017)
In 2017, Kohli again showed his batting skills with a score of 243 runs against Sri Lanka in Delhi. He opened the batting with Murali Vijay, who scored 155 runs. Kohli hit 25 boundaries. India scored 536 runs in their first innings, and Kohli later added a quick 50 runs in the second innings. However, the match ended in a draw.
1. Virat Kohli – 254 vs South Africa (2019)
The highest score by an Indian captain in Test cricket is Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 254 runs against South Africa in Pune in 2019. After Mayank Agarwal’s century, Kohli attacked the South African bowlers, hitting 33 fours and 2 sixes. India declared at 601 runs and won the match by an innings after bowling out South Africa for 275 and 189 runs in their two innings.
These amazing performances show how Indian captains have led the team with their batting, creating some of the most memorable moments in Test cricket history.
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