The debate surrounding the success stories of Indian cricket captains refuses to go away. Instead, with the gradual transformation of cricket into an immensely popular sport in the country, such discussions have only intensified.

Trying to answer the question – ‘Who is the best ever?’ is perhaps futile, for comparisons cannot be made across vastly different generations. However, in this article, we attempt to throw light on the top 5 Indian cricket captains.

MS Dhoni

Once he burst onto the scene with a firebrand 148 off 123 against Pakistan in Visakhapatnam in 2005, the world knew there was something special about the lad. His hair, back then, was as flamboyant as his batting repertoire.

In 2007 he led India to the ultimate glory in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup. And then, to cut a long story short, he never looked back! Titles, victories, records, championships all became a part and parcel of this man’s life, as he took the Indian team to the highest levels of success.

Bagging the numero uno status in Test cricket in 2009 was historic. Victory in the 2011 World Cup was special. Beating Australia 4-0 in a home Test series in 2013 was fantastic!

When he led India to the silverware in Champions Trophy 2013, he perhaps had little else to conquer. Phlegmatic to the core, MS Dhoni’s ‘Captain Cool’ avatar has earned him accolades and awards from all over the world.

Yet, he continues to be the same humble man he once was, while working as a ticket collector in Kharagpur (West Bengal).

Sourav Ganguly

When Indian cricket had plunged to its lowest possible depths, 15 years back, it took one herculean Sourav Ganguly to pull the team back into limelight. The team back then was in shambles, with the match fixing scandal taking a toll on the players’ morale and self esteem.

India were ranked 8th in Tests, and were routinely outplayed by virtually every Test playing side outside the subcontinent. In less than 5 years, he had metamorphosed the team into a lethal 11-man attack! India found redemption for their past horrors in the 2003 World Cup when a courageous skipper in the form of Ganguly led them right to the very doorsteps of the trophy.

Except Australia in the Group Stages and the Final, India were unbeaten throughout the tournament. In 2004, he rose to the highest echelons of fame after India conquered Pakistan IN PAKISTAN, in a tour with historic proportions.

Many still rate him above Dhoni in the list of Top Indian Cricket Captains. Tales of how the affable ‘Dada’ put Indian cricket on the road to the global recognition shall perhaps be recounted for generations to come.

Mohammed. Azharuddin

The ’90s kids’ have most likely spent their childhoods seeing the wily Azhar lead the Indian team. His white helmet still remains his identifying trait. In the days following the dizziness of the 1983 glory, Azhar emerged as one of the few candidates capable of taking the team past a prolonged slump.

A fielder with unmatched skills, and wristwork that would have made Zaheer Abbas proud, Azharuddin managed to hold the team together at a time when India was not even remotely the cricket powerhouse that it is today.

Kapil Dev

He is undoubtedly the greatest all rounder India has ever produced. But he is more fondly remembered for leading India to its first World Cup title, against all odds, in 1983.

In more ways than one, Kapil’s all round magic was one of the most important elements in that momentous campaign. A contemporary of Richard Hadlee and Imran Khan, his leadership skills were rated among the best in that generation.

Sunil Gavaskar

Concentration. Focus. Unbreachable defence. Flair. It was hard to find an opening batsman with all these qualities in an Indian team of the 1970s and 80s. The one man who could effortlessly combine them all was Sunil Gavaskar.

He was also India’s captain at a time when playing abroad was frequently equated with being embarrassed and bullied into surrendering. Even though his record as a captain is not impregnated with astronomical figures, his real achievement lay in sticking with a team that was still decades away from learning how to win confidently.

DEBOTOSH