Leaders who fail to win and inspire – Who is the bad captain of IPL?
While there has been no doubt that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed some of the greatest captains in T20 cricket, the tournament has also witnessed some of the drastic leadership disasters.
As the stalwarts of the game, like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, quickly adapted to the high-pressure situations and intense planning and mind games, which led their side to title triumph many times, other dynamics like Virat Kohli faltered and failed to bring out supreme results.
In this article, we are going to explore one of the most asked questions by the cricket and IPL fraternity in particular – who is the bad captain of IPL? As we go and explore more closely, let’s have a look at the worst captains of the biggest cricket league in the world based on their records, leadership failures, and overall impact on the team.
Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings, 2022) – A leadership disaster
When we dig into who is the bad captain in IPL history, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s leadership stint in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the 2022 season becomes the first recall. The India International took up the captaincy reign from MS Dhoni, but it all turned out to be a nightmare for him.
While the left-hander struggled with bowling changes and field placements, the pressure of captaincy affected his bowling as well. As he looked unsure of such a big charge on his shoulders and failed to inspire the team, CSK finished at the bottom second spot in the season with just four wins in 14 games throughout the season.
His captaincy sent out a big message to other aspiring captains that being a good player and being a good captain are very different things.
Nitish Rana (Kolkata Knight Riders, 2023) – A season ‘not’ to remember for Shahrukh Khan’s team
Handing over the captaincy of a big franchise like the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to Nitish Rana was a matter of fortune. While their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer missed out the entire season due to surgery, it was Nitish who became the new man in charge of KKR.
However, things turned out on a very dismal note for the left-handed batter as he failed to deliver, with KKR’s entire season turning into a catastrophe. The Kolkata-based franchise ended up at the seventh spot in the 2022 season with just six wins in their 14 games.
Kumar Sangakkara ( Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad) – A world-class player but a forgettable IPL captain
Many of us might find this name intriguing in the list of worst captains in IPL, but Kumar Sangakkara is yet another name who had a flop captaincy period during his time in IPL. Being the captain of the former franchise Deccan Chargers, the team ended up in 7th place in 2011 and last spot in 2012 under his leadership.
The majority of analysts sight that unlike international cricket, the left-handed batter failed to adapt to the fast-paced nature of T20 cricket. In 2013, things turned so disappointing that he even benched himself due to poor form and horrible performance.
Mahela Jayawardene ( Kings XI Punjab, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, and Delhi Daredevils) is an international legend but an IPL flop
Another surprising name in the list, before we talk about Jayawardene’s IPL captaincy, there is a gentle reminder that the Sri Lankan legend won the ICC Captain of the Year 2016. While his national side achieved new heights under his flag, his captaincy record in the IPL is highly disappointing.
Recognized as one of cricket’s biggest tacticians, he captained three franchises during his IPL career – Kings XI Punjab (2010), Kochi Tuskers Kerala (2011), and Delhi Daredevils (2012-2013. And to everyone’s surprise, each of his leadership campaigns ended up in a horrific dream. Out of the 30 games in which he played as a captain, the right-handed batter’s side lost 19 of them, with ten wins and one game ending in no result.
While this disappointing stat makes his winning percentage below 40%, this incident serves as a gentle reminder of how even the greatest minds of international cricket collapse in the modernized realm of franchise cricket.
Sourav Ganguly ( Kolkata Knight Riders and Pune Warriors India) – Decoding the struggles in franchise cricket of ‘Dada’
There has been no doubt that Sourav Ganguly is one of the most prolific and impactful captains in Indian cricketing history, but when it comes to the IPL, his leadership record tells a completely different story.
Unlike his successful time as the captain of India, his captaincy stint with KKR (2008-2010) and Pune Warriors India ( 2011-2012) was way below impressive. When the local boy took over the leadership charge of KKR in 2008, the expectations were massively high, but the team failed to even qualify for the playoffs in any of the three seasons.
Though his charismatic decision-making made wonders for his nation, he seemed very rigid and conservative, eventually failing to adapt to the completely different dynamics of T20 cricket.
While KKR sacked him from captaincy in 2011, he found his new home in the dressing room of Pune Warriors India. The left-handed batter took the captaincy of PWI in 2011, but the result was the same. While PWI finished in 9th place in 2011, things became worse as they reached the last spot in 2012.
Despite being a natural motivator who is known for shaping big game players, he failed in the evolving nature of T20 cricket. Unlike his contemporary MS Dhoni, who brilliantly adapted to T20 cricket, Ganguly failed to transform his mindset, ultimately leaving no long-lasting legacy as an IPL leader.
Conclusion
The answer to the worst captain in IPL is just not limited to mere statistics. This is a wider role that takes special mention of leadership, quick decision-making, and the ability to handle pressure.
Presenting a contrast to captains like Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, and MS Dhoni, players like Jayawardene and Ravindra Jadeja turned out to be horrific leaders despite being highly skilled and distinguished cricketers.
