Image: Cricket in numbers shows the least successful captains in IPL history / © NDTV Sports
Captaincy in the IPL often comes with the tough job of handling the team in the biggest League of the game. Such is the seriousness of the task that even the top leaders have failed to get the best out of their teams. With this, we are bringing the list of the top captains in the IPL with the worst winning percentage in history.
| Player | Teams | Matches | Won | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kumar Sangakkara | Deccan Chargers, Kings XI Punjab, Sunrisers Hyderabad | 47 | 15 | 30 | 34.04 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Delhi Capitals, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Kings XI Punjab | 30 | 10 | 19 | 35.00 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Supergiant, Kolkata Knight Riders | 40 | 14 | 25 | 35.89 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings | 27 | 10 | 17 | 37.03 |
| Shane Watson | Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore | 24 | 8 | 13 | 39.13 |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | Chennai Super Kings | 20 | 8 | 12 | 40.00 |
Being one of the top captains in international cricket, Kumar Sangakkara entered the IPL with the hopes of being a top captain. But his stint with teams such as Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) saw him have one of the worst win percentages in the tournament’s history. In the 47 matches that he captained, his team won only 15 of them while losing the other 30 matches. In terms of win percentage, he had a 34.04% win rate and was eventually removed from the captaincy position.
Another Sri Lankan star who failed to make an impact on the IPL through his captaincy, Mahela Jayawardene, is the one who captained three different franchises. In the 30 matches where Mahela Jayawardene was captain for the three franchises, Delhi Capitals, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) combined, they got victorious in just 10 of them, while in the other 19 matches, the teams had to face defeat. With just a win percentage of 35.00%, he is ranked second on the list of the captains with the Lowest Win Percentage in IPL History.
The former vice-captain of the Indian Test Cricket Team, Ajinkya Rahane, is placed at the number 3 spot in the list of the captains with the Lowest Win Percentage in IPL History. Starting his captaincy career with the Rajasthan Royals and then moving on to the Rising Pune Super Giants, and then currently captaining the Kolkata Knight Riders, he has played 40 matches as captain. With just 14 wins and 25 losses to his name as captain, his win percentage stands at 35.89 only.