In a recent ranking exercise that has stirred considerable debate among cricket fans, former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu has picked MS Dhoni as the best Indian captain, placing Virat Kohli at fifth position. The ranking, done as part of a "blind ranking" challenge on ESPNcricinfo, saw Rayudu assessing prominent Indian captains without knowing who would appear next.

Rayudu's list placed MS Dhoni at the top spot, a choice that many find unsurprising. Dhoni's calm leadership and his unique achievement of winning all three major ICC trophies – the T20 World Cup in 2007, the ODI World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013 – likely contributed to this decision. Rayudu has played under Dhoni for the Indian Cricket Team and also for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL from 2018 to 2023. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India played 332 matches across all formats, winning 178, losing 120, and drawing 15.

Following Dhoni, Rayudu ranked Rohit Sharma at number two. Rohit's recent successes as captain, including leading India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, seem to have influenced this decision. Rayudu played alongside Sharma at Mumbai Indians (MI) and for the Indian team.

Sourav Ganguly, often credited with transforming Indian cricket and instilling a fighting spirit in the team, was placed third. Kapil Dev, who led India to its first-ever World Cup triumph in 1983, was ranked fourth.

The most talked-about placement has been that of Virat Kohli at number five. Rayudu clarified that while Kohli's captaincy in Test cricket could place him in the top two, his overall ranking considered the absence of ICC silverware during his tenure. Despite Kohli leading India to unprecedented heights in Test cricket, including a record 42 consecutive months at the top of the ICC Test rankings, the lack of a major global trophy appeared to influence Rayudu's assessment.

Rayudu said that Kohli's ranking depends on the format of the game, and that in red ball cricket, he would be in the top two, but overall, he is fifth.

Mohammad Azharuddin was placed at the sixth spot.

The ranking has led to considerable discussion, with many fans and analysts weighing in on Rayudu's choices. While some agree with his assessment, particularly regarding Dhoni's top spot, others have expressed surprise at Kohli's lower ranking, given his success in Test cricket.