Analysis
5 Indian legends who were never given captaincy in international cricket
India has been blessed with some of the greatest captains the sport has ever seen. Right from the 1980s, India enjoyed great leadership and Kapil Dev led them to the biggest cricket glory in 1983 by winning the ODI World Cup against the West Indies. India later on saw some great captains like Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and so on. They have helped India to win many tournaments and series of different levels.
Under Ganguly, India jointly won the Champions Trophy 2002 along with Sri Lanka. India won the NatWest Series 2002 and the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2001 under the captaincy of Ganguly. Under MS Dhoni, India won the T20 World Cup in 2007, the Commonwealth Games in 2008, became the number one ranked Test team for the first time, won the ODI World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013.
Under Virat Kohli, India won the ODI and T20I series in Australia and South Africa. India won the Border Gavaskar Trophy in 2018/19 for the first time away from home under Kohli. Under Rohit Sharma, India won the Nidahas Trophy in 2018, Asia Cup in 2018 and 2023. India also won a bilateral series in England in ODIs. With so many great captains, India happens to be a team with good results in international cricket, particularly in limited-overs cricket.
However, some great players could not lead India for many reasons. Here are the five players with remarkable careers for Indian cricket who, despite their brilliance, were never bestowed with captaincy in international cricket.
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5. Syed Kirmani
Five players with remarkable careers for Indian cricket who, despite their brilliance, were never bestowed with the captaincy in international cricket (Source: X)
Syed Kirmani played for India mostly in the 1980s. In the period, he was a key player in the team, handling the responsibility of being the WK batter. Back then, wicketkeepers were specialists in keeping the wickets and did not contribute a lot with the bat with some exceptions. However, Kirmani was brilliant as a keeper and good as a batter. He was a key part of the Indian team that won the ODI World Cup in 1983. However, Kirmani never led India in a match.
4. VVS Laxman
Five players with remarkable careers for Indian cricket who, despite their brilliance, were never bestowed with the captaincy in international cricket (Source: X)
VVS Laxman was a great batter in Tests. To date, he is regarded as one of the best middle-order batters in Tests. He would be in the Indian team in the All-time Test XI. The former Indian batter played many great knocks in Tests. The most popular of them was his 281 in Eden Gardens against Australia. During his time, India had many great players some of whom also led India like Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, and Sachin Tendulkar. Hence, Laxman could not lead India.
3. Yuvraj Singh
Five players with remarkable careers for Indian cricket who, despite their brilliance, were never bestowed with the captaincy in international cricket (Source: X)
Yuvraj Singh is one of the greatest heroes of India. The former India batter played a key role in many big wins of India like the semifinal of the T20 WC 2007, ODI WC 2011, Commonwealth Bank Series 2008 and so on. In limited-overs cricket, Yuvraj was one of his kind and regarded to be a great match-winner. Given the fact that MS Dhoni established himself as a great skipper and the presence of senior players, Yuvraj never got an opportunity to lead India.
2. Ravindra Jadeja
Five players with remarkable careers for Indian cricket who, despite their brilliance, were never bestowed with the captaincy in international cricket (Source: X)
Ravindra Jadeja is considered by many as the greatest Indian all-rounder. With his batting, bowling, and terrific fielding, Jadeja is an asset to the team. However, Jadeja has not led India to date. In fact, he might end up retiring without leading India. The fact that India has an established captain like Rohit Sharma with some emerging names like Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant means he might never be considered to lead India in any format.
1. Ravichandran Ashwin
Five players with remarkable careers for Indian cricket who, despite their brilliance, were never bestowed with the captaincy in international cricket (Source: X)
Ravichandran Ashwin has been a great player for India. In Tests, he is a genuine bowling All-rounder for India. In ODIs, he had his time in the 2010s before India looked for the wrist spinners. In T20Is, Ashwin is a terrific bowler. Despite his credibility as a player, Ashwin has not led India in a match. Ashwin is an experienced player and well past his prime. With just a few years left in his career, India would not consider him as the captain.