Worst Captains In IPL

Top 10 Worst Captains In IPL

Indian Premier League (IPL) presents captains with an extraordinary challenge; their ability to manage team players, increase morale during difficult periods and make strategic moves is put through rigorous analysis. While some captains have emerged as effective leaders, others have fallen far short of expectations; we hunt through the worst captains in IPL with low win percentages.

List Of Worst Captains In IPL

Captains are very important when to take the teams to a successful path in tournaments like Indian Premier League. Their decisions can have an enormous impact on team performances; therefore, any time a game goes away from them then most of the blame falls wholly on them. Let us now examine the worst captains in IPL with lowest winning percentage.

CaptainTeamsMatchesWonLostTiedNo ResultWin%
Kumar SangakkaraKXIP, DC, SRH4715302034.04
Mahela JayawardeneKXIP, KTK, DD3010191035.00
Ajinkya RahaneRR, RPS259160036.00
Shikhar DhawanSRH, PBKS218130038.09
Shane WatsonRR, RCB248132139.13
Sourav GangulyKKR, PWI4217250040.47
Ravichandran AshwinKXIP2812160042.85
Zaheer KhanDD2310130043.47
Suresh RainaCSK, GL3414182044.11
Rahul DravidRCB, RR4822260045.83

Kumar Sangakkara – 34.04% Winning Percentage

Kumar Sangakkara, a Sri Lankan cricketer, captained Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) over 47 matches in total, obtaining 15 wins while also experiencing defeat 30 times. Two games had no results or were abandoned after no results were made tied. Unfortunately his captaincy only saw 34.04% success rate which made him as the topper among worst captains in IPL.

Mahela Jayawardene – 35.00% Winning Percentage

Mahela Jayawardene, another famous Sri Lankan cricketer, led Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK), and Delhi Daredevils (DD) across 30 matches. He has an overall win percentage of 35 with 10 wins, 19 defeats, one tie game with no results recorded, which made him as the second worst captains in IPL.

Ajinkya Rahane – 36.00% Winning Percentage

Ajinkya Rahane, a classic Indian batsman, led Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) through 25 Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. He took his team to 9 victories and 16 defeats resulting in an overall win percentage of 36%. Rahane who was known for his consistent technique in batting failed miserably while doing captaincy which makes understand that captaincy is not a easy job in cricket.

Shikhar Dhawan – 38.09% Winning Percentage

Shikhar Dhawan, a bursting Indian opener, led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) across 21 IPL matches during his captaincy tenure. He has captained SRH in 10 matches in 2014 and PBKS in 11 matches in 2023. In those matches he made 8 wins against 13 losses (with no ties), for an overall win percentage of 38.09%. Renowned for his stylish left-handed batting style and consistent run scoring performance, Dhawan failed to prove himself as an effective leader and is one among worst captains in IPL.

Shane Watson – 39.13% Winning Percentage

Shane Watson, an exceptional Australian all-rounder, captained both Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) across 24 IPL matches. Watson captained RR in 2008 and RCB in 2017 and took his team to 8 wins, 13 losses, 2 tied games, and one no result. He has a win percentage of 39.13% among the matches he captained. Watson used his aggressive all-around skills but failed miserably.

Sourav Ganguly – 40.47% Winning Percentage

Sourav Ganguly, an iconic Indian cricketer and former national team captain, led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Pune Warriors India (PWI) across 42 matches between 2008 and 2012. With a win percentage of 40.47% he has 17 victories while also losing 25 matches without any tie. Ganguly one of the best Indian captain who nurtured young talents and won among top teams couldn’t show case his talent in this high competitive tournament and is one of the worst captains in IPL.

Ravichandran Ashwin – 42.85% Winning Percentage

Ravichandran Ashwin captained Kings XI Punjab in 28 IPL matches in 2018 and 2019. He took his team to 12 victories and 16 losses. He made a win percentage of 42.85%. Ashwin who has been a one of the greatest all rounder in IPL couldn’t take his team to more victories due to his lack of knowledge in captaincy.

Zaheer Khan – 43.47% Winning Percentage

Zaheer Khan led Delhi Daredevils (DD) in 23 IPL matches during IPL 2016 and 2017. Zaheer made 10 wins and 13 losses as captain maintaining an overall win percentage of 43.47%. As an experienced fast bowler he couldn’t focus on his bowling which made him as one of the worst captains in IPL.

Suresh Raina – 44.11% Winning Percentage

Suresh Raina, an creative Indian and IPL batsman, led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Lions (GL) across 34 IPL matches under his leadership, resulting in 14 wins, 18 losses, 2 tie games. He has a win percentage of 44.11% with the 14 wins he had with his captaincy. Raina was known for his aggressive batting style for both the teams and has scored lot of runs in IPL; but leading one of the tough teams like CSK he couldn’t maintain the legacy that CSK has kept in IPL!

Rahul Dravid – 45.83% Winning Percentage

Rahul Dravid, one of India’s greatest batsmen and current Indian team coach, captained both Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) across 48 Indian Premier League matches. Dravid during his captaincy tenure made 22 wins and 26 losses, giving Dravid an overall winning percentage of 45.83% and is at tenth place among worst captains in IPL.

Conclusion

Although these players had impressive records individually on the cricket field, their captaincy in the IPL were less than wonderful. With low win percentages to their name, this list shows their difficulties adapting to IPL’s fast-paced and high-pressure environment. Analysis of IPL captains can be subjective and vary based on various metrics; however, win percentages provide a fair indication of their success (or lack thereof) as captains in IPL.

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