The debate over who is the better Test captain between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma often focuses on their achievements both at home and abroad. As leaders of the Indian cricket team, both have had their share of successes. But their performances in SENA countries - South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia - highlight their respective strengths and challenges.
SENA countries are traditionally tough venues for visiting teams. Excelling there is considered to be a mark of great leadership. The Sporting News takes a look at how Rohit and Kohli have performed as captain in SENA countries.
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Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma: Who has won most Tests in SENA countries as captain?
When comparing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as captains in SENA countries, Kohli stands out by a mile. Kohli led India to seven Test wins in these challenging environments.
In contrast, Rohit Sharma has achieved just one win as captain. This stark difference underscores Kohli's exceptional ability to guide his team through difficult conditions.
Virat Kohli's dominance in SENA countries
Virat Kohli’s tenure as Test captain was marked by several landmark achievements. Kohli’s captaincy saw India secure historic wins in Australia and England, among others.
He became the first Asian captain to win a Test series in Australia and achieved a memorable 2-1 series win in England.
Rohit Sharma's challenge in SENA countries
Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, while impressive in many respects, has not yet matched Kohli’s success in SENA countries.
Rohit's only win as a captain in these conditions came during the 2023 Test series against South Africa, where he helped India draw the series 1-1. Despite his commendable performance in the ODI format and his recent achievements in T20Is including the T20 World Cup 2024 win, Rohit’s Test captaincy in SENA countries is yet to be proved.
It will be interesting to see if Rohit, being the current Indian Test captain, will be able to replicate Kohli’s level of success in these challenging environments. He will hope that the upcoming Border-Gavaskar trophy in Australia will be the perfect start point.