KL Rahul Captaincy Record: Tests, ODIs, T20Is & IPL

KL Rahul’s evolution as a leader is evident in both international cricket and the IPL. For India, he has taken charge across formats whenever required since 2022. Although Rahul has not been appointed India’s full-time captain, he has held full-time leadership roles in the IPL. He previously captained Punjab Kings for two seasons and later took charge of Lucknow Super Giants across three campaigns.

Rahul became the face of the Lucknow Super Giants when the franchise appointed him captain in their inaugural 2022 season. He took the side into the playoffs in their very first year. Since the 2025 season, KL is now a part of the Delhi Capitals and has been allowed to bat freely by the management without the weight of captaincy on his shoulder, as Axar Patel took charge of the team. Let's have a look at KL Rahul captaincy record in international cricket as well as the IPL.

KL Rahul Captaincy Record in All Formats

KL Rahul record across formats and competitions shows the consistency he has brought whenever handed leadership responsibilities. In international cricket, KL Rahul as captain, has delivered impressively, especially in ODIs, where he has a win percentage of nearly 70, along with solid results in Tests and a perfect result in his lone T20I outing.

His IPL captaincy has been balanced, with 32 wins in 64 matches. Taken together, his overall win percentage of 54.32 across 81 matches shows a leader who remains calm and confident whenever trusted with the leadership role.

KL Rahul Captaincy Record in Test Cricket

KL Rahul first led India in January 2022, when he stood in for an unavailable Virat Kohli during the second Test in South Africa. India eventually lost by seven wickets. Despite the shaky start to his leadership career, Rahul remained a consistent part of the team’s leadership discussions and continued to take charge whenever required.

After that initial setback, he guided India to a 2-0 Test series win in Bangladesh later that same year. However, with Shubman Gill now appointed as India’s Test captain and Rishabh Pant serving as vice-captain, Rahul’s chances of returning to a leadership role in red-ball cricket appear slim. However, he still remains an integral part of the team being one of the best Test batsmen in the world.

KL Rahul Captaincy Record in ODI Cricket

The stand-in skipper, KL Rahul stats in the ODI format, even in a temporary role, shows that he is a reliable leader. In 13 matches, he has led India to 9 wins and 4 losses, giving him a strong win rate of 69.23%. His first stint in 2022 was tough, starting with a 3–0 defeat in South Africa, but he bounced back later that year by guiding India to a 2–0 series win in Bangladesh.

His recent opportunities also show that the selectors trust him to step in case of need, which is highlighted by his appointment as captain for the ODI series against South Africa in November–December 2025.

KL Rahul Captaincy Record in T20I Cricket

Rahul has had just a single opportunity to lead India in T20Is. He took charge in Rohit Sharma’s absence during the Asia Cup 2022 match against Afghanistan, where India ended their campaign with a dominant 101-run win. It was his lone outing as captain in T20I, but that ended on a strong note despite the team having fallen short of the knockout stage.

KL Rahul Captaincy Record in IPL

KL Rahul as captain, has had decent captaincy stints with two IPL teams. And thus far, he has had considerable success in the league. His time with PBKS produced a below-average return with 12 wins in 27 matches; his leadership record improved significantly at LSG, where he secured 20 victories in 37 games. Overall, he is considered as one of the best batsmen in IPL.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) – 2020 & 2021

• KL Rahul record as captain of Punjab Kings, across the 2020 and 2021 IPL seasons, was marked by standout individual performances but poor team results. KL often carried the batting lineup, winning the Orange Cap in 2020 and regularly anchoring the innings while keeping wickets. Despite his individual performance, Punjab struggled for consistency, managing only 12 wins in 27 games under his leadership.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) – 2022 to 2024

• After his stint with Punjab, Rahul took over as captain of the newly formed Lucknow Super Giants and led them across the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons. LSG made an immediate impact under his leadership, securing playoff qualification in their first two campaigns. The 2024 season, however, was a mixed outing, with the team unable to replicate its earlier success. Following that challenging year and some intense on-field conversations with Sanjiv Goenka, the team owner, Rahul parted ways with the franchise and made the switch to Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2025 season.