Ranking the top 5 Test captains of 2025

The 2025 Test season was short but intense. It was the year when several captains stepped into leadership roles and had to manage heavy workloads, player rotation and pressure tours. Captains have a big job, especially in the longest format of the game, and the team reflects how good a captain is. Let us take a look at the best Test captains of 2025.

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1. Temba Bavuma (South Africa) - 4 matches; 4 wins

Bavuma tops the list because of one simple metric: results. In 2025, he captained four Tests and won them all (4–0), a perfect record. What the raw numbers don’t show is the leadership style behind that success — calm, clear tactical planning and an ability to back his bowlers to do the job. 

Bavuma’s South Africa combined disciplined seam attacks with match-aware batting performances. As captain, he used his pace battery and spinners wisely, rotating bowlers and setting fields that produced regular breakthroughs. He also led his team to the first ICC title in the last 27 years, i.e. ICC Test Championship.

2. Pat Cummins (Australia) - 6 matches; 5 wins, 1 loss

Pat Cummins ranks second on results, and for the way he managed an Australian unit that relied on precise planning and ruthless execution. Across six Tests, he registered five wins and a single defeat — an outstanding return in any calendar year. 

Cummins’s leadership is tactical and energetic. He leads by example with the new ball, understands tempo changes, and is willing to back youngsters while keeping senior players engaged. His ability to extract the best out of strike bowlers and to adjust attacking fields to the match situation makes him one of the year’s most effective Test captains.

3. Steve Smith (Australia) - 5 matches; 4 wins, 1 loss

Steve Smith’s placement at number three reflects a strong win record plus intangible leadership qualities. Smith’s captaincy is built on acute game-reading, inventive tactics and a calming influence on the dressing room. He led the Australian side when Cummins was not available, and he did not disappoint.

In five Tests, he won four and lost just one. These numbers show consistent success. He blends a batter’s instinct with captaincy nous, which helps Australia in tight series and high-pressure moments.

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4. Shubman Gill (India) - 8 matches; 4 wins, 3 losses, 1 draw

Shubman Gill’s captaincy comes with a different profile: more matches and heavier scrutiny. He led India in eight Tests (the most matches among the five) and returned mixed results with four wins, three defeats and a draw. 

That record reflects both the level of competition India faced and the transitions Gill is managing within a deep Indian squad. He has shown a willingness to rotate seam and spin options, back young players and trust match-ups rather than defaulting to orthodox plans. His tenure in 2025 was as much about establishing a long-term approach as about short-term wins.

5. Najmul Hossain Shanto (Bangladesh) - 6 matches; 3 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw

Najmul Hossain Shanto ranks fifth but is no less important to his side. Across six Tests, he yielded three wins, two losses and a draw — a credible return for a captain operating in challenging conditions and often against stronger sides. 

Shanto’s leadership has leaned on clarity of role. He has tried to solidify Bangladesh’s top order and to create defined tasks for bowlers in both home and away contexts. The results show a team that can compete and occasionally beat higher-ranked opponents, which is the immediate goal for Bangladesh cricket and a mark of effective captaincy.

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