IND vs SA: Indian star KL Rahul has gone past legendary leader MS Dhoni in a special captaincy record after the Men in Blue defeated South Africa in one-way traffic in the first ODI of the ongoing series. Led by interim ODI skipper Rahul, the Indians steamrolled the Proteas in the opening ODI by 8 wickets at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on Sunday. The Men in Blue have taken a 1-0 lead in the series.
Rahul has been handed the ODI captaincy in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who has opted for a break from the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour. Rahul made a strong statement after getting the captaincy again when India chased down South Africa’s 117-run target with 200 balls to spare. He has gone past the legendary icon MS Dhoni in a major captaincy record.
Rahul above Dhoni in Indian captains with most consecutive wins
Rahul has gone past the former World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni in an elite list of Indian skippers with the most consecutive wins in International cricket. The 1st ODI win vs South Africa was Rahul’s 10th consecutive win across formats, which is now one more than the former captain Dhoni. The Karnataka star is undefeated at the helm from the previous 10 International matches in 2022/23, while Dhoni led an unbeaten India in 9 matches in 2013.
Notably, Rohit Sharma holds the record for most successive wins by Indian captains – 19 wins from 2019 to 2022. His 12 wins in 2018 is the joint-second most along with Virat Kohli, who won 10 games for India in 2017.
Most consecutive wins by Indian captains in International Cricket:
Rohit Sharma – 19 matches (2019/22)
Rohit Sharma – 12 matches (2018)
Virat Kohli – 12 matches (2017)
Rohit Sharma – 10 matches (2023)
KL Rahul – 10 matches (2022/23)*
MS Dhoni – 9 wins (2013)
India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series after a spectacular win in the Johannesburg ODI. This marks a huge step in their bid to defeat the Proteas in an home ODI series at the latter’s home. The Men in Blue have defeated South Africa in ODI series only once and that came under Virat Kohli in 2017/18.