Who is the Worst Captain in IPL History

Let’s start with the obvious: Cricket, just like all other sports, has had its ups and downs throughout its multi-century history. And though nowadays it can boast many successful captains with their place as icons cemented by their teams’ beautiful performances, today we will review the not-so-lucky or the not-so-good captains and answer the question: Who is a bad captain in IPL history?

Join us as we examine the many teams and their leaders, check their performance, and make judgements on what could have been done better. Let’s begin!

💪 Why is a Captain so Important in Cricket?

We cannot overstate the importance of captains – they play a crucial role in how the team performs when the game begins, and the pressure to win supersedes all previously learned techniques and mantras. And that’s no wonder! Under good leadership, the team’s win percentage improves a lot.

History is full of examples of when average teams became some of the best in the world, all thanks to the guidance of certain individuals, determined to score as many runs no matter what.

🥉 The Worst Captains in IPL History

Before we start with the list itself, please remember – the people listed here have all had an excellent track record as cricket players, and being included here is by no means a judgment on their skills or knowledge. Being a strong captain or a team leader is not an easy feat and depends on many factors and qualities, some of which might be as far beyond their control as the moon.

So we insist, please take the following with a grain of salt – let’s begin our review of five captains who could have done better!

▶ Kumar Sangakkara

We think Kumar is an absolutely exceptional batsman – Sangakkara led Kings XI Punjab in 2010, but fell short of expectations as a leader of Sri Lanka’s national team. And while he didn’t fail miserably, the roster was nowhere near the peak of its successful past. After serving as the captain for only two years and failing to increase the win percentage, Kumar stepped down.

▶ Mahela Jayawardene

Widely criticised during his IPL captaincy of Sri Lanka, Mahela had a relatively decent record during the 2007 World Cup as the ICC captain before suffering a defeat in the finals against Australia. And while Mahela Jayawardene did relatively well during the World Cup, Sri Lanka’s ODI performance sharply decreased. Nonetheless, he earned the prestigious Captain of the Year cricket award, making him a relatively excellent foreign captain.

▶ Sourav Ganguly

Part of the Kolkata Knight Riders and Pune Warriors IPL team roster, Sourav Ganguly was appointed to serve as captain of the Indian national team. He was behind its relative success in international cricket matches. And while regarded as a great captain by most, some people criticised his lacklustre performance during away Test matches.
Fun fact: both MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma joined the team with Ganguly as India’s captain.

▶ George Bailey

While he had a good track record as one of Australia’s finest cricketers, George Bailey’s captaincy didn’t go so well. While captaining Australia during the 2014 ICC World Championship, he suffered one of the most devastating defeats of his career, getting bowled out for just 86 runs. Bailey also led Kings XI Punjab, leading them to the IPL finals.

▶ Rahul Dravid

Previously a player in the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the leader of the Rajasthan Royals, Rahul Dravid led India for two years, earning a Test Series victory but getting eliminated in the WC group stage. His tenure was marked by relative instability with a lower win percentage.

⚡ IPL #2025 Captains

The #2025 IPL matches are in full swing, and nobody knows what’s to come – isn’t that exciting? We think that with all the new surprises that await us at every turn, it might be that the worst IPL captains will be revealed later during the season. But one thing we know for sure – good leadership influences the whole team, making winning and eventually lifting the trophy much more likely. 

We’ll surely keep our fingers crossed and hope that our favourite crews of athletes will get the best IPL captains there are and proceed to crush the opposition. To wins, cool matches, and awesome cricket!

⭐ The Best Place to Bet on IPL #2025

Our team can attest: having a bet or two placed on the upcoming event surely makes watching it twice as interesting – especially if you know that your choice has a good captain in the IPL! 

We recommend placing your bets with LEON. It’s a respected and reliable website with tons of choices, markets, and promos to spice up your experience. You can also use their cool app to make betting as convenient as checking the weather on your phone, so get in on the fun today!