Virat Kohli or Joe Root: After leading 68 Test matches, who’s the better captain?

Virat Kohli and Joe Root, two of the premier batsmen in recent years, have been the subject of debate when considering their Test captaincy. After England's 8-wicket win over Pakistan in the third Test, Root became the 68th Test captain for England. In contrast, Kohli, who retired from Test captaincy in 2022, led India 68 times.

This equal count has sparked curiosity about who is the better captain. Root boasts 30 wins, 27 losses, and 11 draws, which translates to a 44.1% win rate over his 68 Tests. Kohli, on the other hand, has a stronger win record with 40 wins, 17 losses, and 11 draws, giving him a 58.82% success rate as India's captain. The two faced each other in three series as captains, with an even split of 6 wins each.

Root began his captaincy stint in 2017, replacing Alastair Cook, and retired in 2022 after leading England to a record 64 Tests, with 27 wins. Root's leadership has been impressive, maintaining a batting average close to 47 while guiding England. Meanwhile, Kohli took over India's captaincy following Dhoni's retirement in 2014, leading India to 11 successful home Test series without a loss.

He also led India to their first Test series victory in Australia and maintained India's No.1 ranking in the ICC Test rankings for five years from 2016 to 2021. Additionally, Kohli guided India to the inaugural World Test Championship final in 2021, scoring seven Test double centuries, the most by any Test captain. Although Kohli has retired from Test cricket, Root still has an opportunity to make his mark as captain.