Rohit Sharma Breaks Ricky Ponting’s World Record; Surpasses Kohli and Dhoni to End as India’s Most Successful ODI Captain

Rohit Sharma's illustrious run as Indian ODI captain has come to an end, and with another record-breaking departure. The 38-year-old captain broke numerous records held by greats like Ricky Ponting, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni, along with setting some unprecedented milestones in world cricket.

🏆 Rohit Sharma’s Captaincy Era Ends on a Historic High

Yuzvendra Chand may never have been part of the Indian set-up had he not been selected by Rohit Sharma for the Champions Trophy in 2025, away at The Oval. With this Champions Trophy win, Rohit's tenure ends — his last feat as India's ODI captain. Head selector Ajit Agarkar has since announced that Shubman Gill will be taking India forward into a new dawn in the upcoming series against Australia.

Rohit, who has now faded away from Test and T20I cricket, may have led India for the last time — but he exits from captaincy as one of the most successful captains of the modern era.

📊 Rohit Sharma’s Record-Breaking Stats as ODI Captain

Rohit first captained India in November 2017 and took the reins as the full-time ODI captain in December 2021. In his tenure as a captain, he was led in 56 matches and has won 42 of them—the win percentage being a phenomenal 75%, the highest for any Indian captain having led for more than 50 matches.

This win percentage surpasses the records of Virat Kohli (68.4%) and Ricky Ponting (71.7%), making Rohit's record the best win percentage in ODI cricket in the 21st century and second-best overall, behind only that of the West Indian legend, Clive Lloyd (76.2%).

🏅 Dominance in Multi-Nation ODI Events

Rohit Sharma also ended Ricky Ponting's reign as the most successful captain in multi-nation ODI tournaments. He has led India in four major tournaments with five-plus teams, reaching the final in all four.

India uplifted the trophies for The Champions Trophy 2025, Asia Cup 2018, and Asia Cup 2023 under his reign, while finishing runner-up in the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

He is the first Indian captain to have led his team in 20 or more matches of a multination event with a win percentage of over 80%, surpassing MS Dhoni.

🌍 Without Equal in ICC Events

In ICC events, his numbers remain spectacular. He has captained India in 16 ODIs across the 2023 Cricket World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy, winning 15 of them and losing only one - the 2023 World Cup final to Australia.

That gives him an extraordinary winning percentage of 93.75 in ICC ODI events, a record unmatched by any captain in history.

🗣️ The Legacy

Calm leadership, fine strategic brain cells, and ability to bring out consistent performances in his charges have etched Rohit Sharma among the greats. Departing with a number of trophies, highest win percentages, and the best performances in big tournaments, he is by far India's most efficient and most successful ODI captain of modern times.