Captaincy plays a highly important role in T20 cricket. A good bowling change, a subtle field adjustment or the man managerial skills – all make a massive difference in the format. In a high-pressure tournament like the Indian Premier League (<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a>), this duty gets that much more important as teams are playing non-stop cricket for about two months.
While we have witnessed several successful captains over the years in this league, some of them have failed miserably. The list of worst captains in the IPL includes a few players who have been highly successful leading their respective international teams. In this listicle, captains who have led in a minimum of 25 games were only considered. The worst captains were picked based upon their win percentage.
<h3>Here are five captains who have failed terribly in the IPL:</h3>
<h3>1. Kumar Sangakkara</h3>
<figure id="attachment_319101" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-319101" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-319101" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kumar-Sangakkara.jpg" alt="Kumar Sangakkara" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-319101" class="wp-caption-text">Kumar Sangakkara. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
Kumar Sangakkara is one of the most inspiring Sri Lankan captains ever. He is a master strategist and has led his team into the finals of World Cup 2011. The wicket-keeper batsman led the team for about two years since 2009. He has got a decent record across all the formats. Sangakkara won 5 out of 15 Tests, 27 out of 45 ODIs and 12 out of 21 T20Is.
However, he has been miserable as an IPL captain and one of the worst the league has ever witnessed. The Sri Lankan was first with the Kings XI Punjab. Then, he shifted bases to the Deccan Chargers and also led the new Hyderabad franchise <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/srh-sunrisers-hyderabad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a>. But, his record isn’t encouraging by any means. In 47 games, he managed to win only 15 matches and lost 30. His win percentage of 31.91 is the least amongst captains who led in a minimum of 25 games.
Matches:&nbsp;47 |&nbsp;Teams:&nbsp;Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad |&nbsp;Won:&nbsp;15 |&nbsp;Lost:&nbsp;30 |&nbsp;Tied:&nbsp;2 | Win%:&nbsp;31.91
<h3>2. Mahela Jayawardene</h3>
<figure id="attachment_334879" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-334879" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-334879" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mahela-Jayawardene.jpg" alt="Mahela Jayawardene" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-334879" class="wp-caption-text">Mahela Jayawardene. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>
</figure>
Mahela Jayawardene is another skipper who has got a proven track record as an international skipper. He has won several laurels fulfilling this duty at the highest level. While he was named the ICC Captain of the year in 2006, he won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award in 2013. Out of 38 Tests where he led the Island nation, he won 18 and drew 8.
Jayawardene has got tons of experience in limited-overs cricket as well. In 126 ODIs as skipper, he won 68. Moreover, he was the first to lead <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/sri-lanka/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sri Lanka</a> in T20Is. However, his IPL stint as a skipper hasn’t been fruitful. The legendary batsman led three teams in a total of 30 games and only managed to win 10 which is highly disappointing.
Matches:&nbsp;30 |&nbsp;Teams:&nbsp;Kings XI Punjab, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Delhi Daredevils (now, Delhi Capitals) |&nbsp;Won:&nbsp;10 |&nbsp;Lost:&nbsp;19 |&nbsp;Tied:&nbsp;1 | Win%:&nbsp;33.33
<h3>3. Sourav Ganguly</h3>
<figure id="attachment_45006" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-45006" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="wp-image-45006" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sourav-Ganguly.jpg" alt="Sourav-Ganguly IPL" width="600" height="422" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-45006" class="wp-caption-text">(Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Many of you might be shocked to see former legendary Indian captain <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sourav-ganguly-predicts-his-semi-finalists-of-world-cup-2019/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sourav Ganguly</a> on this list. He is regarded to be one of the greatest captains to have ever led the Indian team. Dada added an aggressive flavour to the team and taught them how to fight out adversities and win tough matches. The side won 21 Tests under his out of which 11 came away from home.
He also led the ODI team for six years when he took over after the match-fixing controversy. He won 76 matches out of 146 and was quite inspirational. However, T20 cricket is a different ball game and the Bengal cricketer learnt it the hard way. He never played a T20I match and it was a struggle for him in the IPL. The Prince of Kolkata was first with KKR and then moved to PWI. But he had a tough time leading both these teams. By the time he started playing IPL, he was past his prime and already retired from international cricket.
Matches:&nbsp;42 |&nbsp;Teams:&nbsp;Kolkata Knight Riders, Pune Warriors India |&nbsp;Won:&nbsp;17 |&nbsp;Lost:&nbsp;25 |&nbsp;Tied:&nbsp;0 | Win%:&nbsp;40.48
<h3>4. George Bailey</h3>
<figure id="attachment_71397" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71397" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-71397" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/George-Bailey.jpg" alt="George Bailey" width="594" height="405" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-71397" class="wp-caption-text">George Bailey of Australia. (Photo by MARTY MELVILLE/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
George Bailey is another high-quality overseas skipper who has struggled in the IPL. He represented Australia in a total of 125 international games. Bailey is only the second Australian to captain an international game without ever playing a game at the highest level. The Tasmanian led the Kangaroos in 29 ODIs and 28 T20Is. He won 16 and 14 games respectively in both these formats.
Considering his good track record, Kings XI Punjab named his the captain in 2014. However, Bailey couldn’t pay the faith back and the side suffered some of the most embarrassing losses under him. The Australian led the team in 36 games but only managed to win 16 games. While the team was the runners-up in 2014, they ended up in the last position the following year.
Matches:&nbsp;36 |&nbsp;Teams:&nbsp;Kings XI Punjab |&nbsp;Won:&nbsp;16 |&nbsp;Lost:&nbsp;19 |&nbsp;Tied:&nbsp;1 | Win%:&nbsp;44.44
Also Check: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/web-stories/ipl-2025-5-teams-with-new-captains-this-season/">IPL 2025: 5 Teams with new captains this season</a>

<h3>5. Rahul Dravid</h3>
<figure id="attachment_274473" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-274473" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;">
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1720083854765_Rahul-Dravid.jpeg" alt="Rahul Dravid" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Rahul Dravid. (Source - Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
 
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-274473" class="wp-caption-text"></figcaption>
</figure>
Rahul Dravid is one of the greatest cricketers to have ever represented India. He always put the team ahead of him and did whatever he was asked to. Be it batting at various different batting positions or keeping the wickets, he never shied away from the responsibility. When he was asked to lead the side, he gleefully accepted this duty as well.
‘<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/world-cup-2019-rahul-dravid-feels-the-indian-team-is-balanced-for-the-tournament/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall</a>‘ captained the team in 25 Test of which he won 8 and lost 6. His record in ODI cricket is also good. In the 79 games where he led the team, Dravid won 42 which is decent enough. But in the T20 format, a format where he isn’t the best of picks, Dravid struggled. The runs he scored didn’t come at a great pace. Even though his captaincy record isn’t the best, he inspired the young teams that he was a part of. His record might not be the best but he’s had a significant contribution to the building up of some of the finest cricketers now.
Matches:&nbsp;48 |&nbsp;Teams: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/">Royal Challengers Bengaluru</a>, Rajasthan Royals | Won:&nbsp;22 |&nbsp;Lost:&nbsp;26 |&nbsp;Tied:&nbsp;0 | Win%:&nbsp;45.83
<h4>Get the latest&nbsp;Cricket News&nbsp;and updates from the&nbsp;Indian Premier League (IPL),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-match-predictions/">Match Predictions</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/fantasy-cricket-tips/">Fantasy Cricket Tips&nbsp;</a>and lots more on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/">CricTracker.com</a>.</h4>

Captaincy plays a highly important role in T20 cricket. A good bowling change, a subtle field adjustment or the man managerial skills – all make a massive difference in the format. In a high-pressure tournament like the Indian Premier League (<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a>), this duty gets that much more important as teams are playing non-stop cricket for about two months.
While we have witnessed several successful captains over the years in this league, some of them have failed miserably. The list of worst captains in the IPL includes a few players who have been highly successful leading their respective international teams. In this listicle, captains who have led in a minimum of 25 games were only considered. The worst captains were picked based upon their win percentage.
<h3>Here are five captains who have failed terribly in the IPL:</h3>
<h3>1. Kumar Sangakkara</h3>
<figure id="attachment_319101" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-319101" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-319101" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kumar-Sangakkara.jpg" alt="Kumar Sangakkara" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-319101" class="wp-caption-text">Kumar Sangakkara. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
Kumar Sangakkara is one of the most inspiring Sri Lankan captains ever. He is a master strategist and has led his team into the finals of World Cup 2011. The wicket-keeper batsman led the team for about two years since 2009. He has got a decent record across all the formats. Sangakkara won 5 out of 15 Tests, 27 out of 45 ODIs and 12 out of 21 T20Is.
However, he has been miserable as an IPL captain and one of the worst the league has ever witnessed. The Sri Lankan was first with the Kings XI Punjab. Then, he shifted bases to the Deccan Chargers and also led the new Hyderabad franchise <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/srh-sunrisers-hyderabad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a>. But, his record isn’t encouraging by any means. In 47 games, he managed to win only 15 matches and lost 30. His win percentage of 31.91 is the least amongst captains who led in a minimum of 25 games.
Matches:&nbsp;47 |&nbsp;Teams:&nbsp;Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad |&nbsp;Won:&nbsp;15 |&nbsp;Lost:&nbsp;30 |&nbsp;Tied:&nbsp;2 | Win%:&nbsp;31.91
<h3>2. Mahela Jayawardene</h3>
<figure id="attachment_334879" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-334879" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-334879" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mahela-Jayawardene.jpg" alt="Mahela Jayawardene" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-334879" class="wp-caption-text">Mahela Jayawardene. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>
</figure>
Mahela Jayawardene is another skipper who has got a proven track record as an international skipper. He has won several laurels fulfilling this duty at the highest level. While he was named the ICC Captain of the year in 2006, he won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award in 2013. Out of 38 Tests where he led the Island nation, he won 18 and drew 8.
Jayawardene has got tons of experience in limited-overs cricket as well. In 126 ODIs as skipper, he won 68. Moreover, he was the first to lead <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/sri-lanka/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sri Lanka</a> in T20Is. However, his IPL stint as a skipper hasn’t been fruitful. The legendary batsman led three teams in a total of 30 games and only managed to win 10 which is highly disappointing.
Matches:&nbsp;30 |&nbsp;Teams:&nbsp;Kings XI Punjab, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Delhi Daredevils (now, Delhi Capitals) |&nbsp;Won:&nbsp;10 |&nbsp;Lost:&nbsp;19 |&nbsp;Tied:&nbsp;1 | Win%:&nbsp;33.33
<h3>3. Sourav Ganguly</h3>
<figure id="attachment_45006" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-45006" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-45006" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sourav-Ganguly.jpg" alt="Sourav-Ganguly IPL" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-45006" class="wp-caption-text">(Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Many of you might be shocked to see former legendary Indian captain <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sourav-ganguly-predicts-his-semi-finalists-of-world-cup-2019/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sourav Ganguly</a> on this list. He is regarded to be one of the greatest captains to have ever led the Indian team. Dada added an aggressive flavour to the team and taught them how to fight out adversities and win tough matches. The side won 21 Tests under his out of which 11 came away from home.
He also led the ODI team for six years when he took over after the match-fixing controversy. He won 76 matches out of 146 and was quite inspirational. However, T20 cricket is a different ball game and the Bengal cricketer learnt it the hard way. He never played a T20I match and it was a struggle for him in the IPL. The Prince of Kolkata was first with KKR and then moved to PWI. But he had a tough time leading both these teams. By the time he started playing IPL, he was past his prime and already retired from international cricket.
Matches:&nbsp;42 |&nbsp;Teams:&nbsp;Kolkata Knight Riders, Pune Warriors India |&nbsp;Won:&nbsp;17 |&nbsp;Lost:&nbsp;25 |&nbsp;Tied:&nbsp;0 | Win%:&nbsp;40.48
<h3>4. George Bailey</h3>
<figure id="attachment_71397" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71397" style="width: 600px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-71397" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/George-Bailey.jpg" alt="George Bailey" width="600" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-71397" class="wp-caption-text">George Bailey of Australia. (Photo by MARTY MELVILLE/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
George Bailey is another high-quality overseas skipper who has struggled in the IPL. He represented Australia in a total of 125 international games. Bailey is only the second Australian to captain an international game without ever playing a game at the highest level. The Tasmanian led the Kangaroos in 29 ODIs and 28 T20Is. He won 16 and 14 games respectively in both these formats.
Considering his good track record, Kings XI Punjab named his the captain in 2014. However, Bailey couldn’t pay the faith back and the side suffered some of the most embarrassing losses under him. The Australian led the team in 36 games but only managed to win 16 games. While the team was the runners-up in 2014, they ended up in the last position the following year.
Matches:&nbsp;36 |&nbsp;Teams:&nbsp;Kings XI Punjab |&nbsp;Won:&nbsp;16 |&nbsp;Lost:&nbsp;19 |&nbsp;Tied:&nbsp;1 | Win%:&nbsp;44.44
Also Check: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/web-stories/ipl-2025-5-teams-with-new-captains-this-season/">IPL 2025: 5 Teams with new captains this season</a>

<h3>5. Rahul Dravid</h3>
<figure id="attachment_274473" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-274473" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1720083854765_Rahul-Dravid.jpeg" alt="Rahul Dravid" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Rahul Dravid. (Source - Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
 
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-274473" class="wp-caption-text"></figcaption>
</figure>
Rahul Dravid is one of the greatest cricketers to have ever represented India. He always put the team ahead of him and did whatever he was asked to. Be it batting at various different batting positions or keeping the wickets, he never shied away from the responsibility. When he was asked to lead the side, he gleefully accepted this duty as well.
‘<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/world-cup-2019-rahul-dravid-feels-the-indian-team-is-balanced-for-the-tournament/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall</a>‘ captained the team in 25 Test of which he won 8 and lost 6. His record in ODI cricket is also good. In the 79 games where he led the team, Dravid won 42 which is decent enough. But in the T20 format, a format where he isn’t the best of picks, Dravid struggled. The runs he scored didn’t come at a great pace. Even though his captaincy record isn’t the best, he inspired the young teams that he was a part of. His record might not be the best but he’s had a significant contribution to the building up of some of the finest cricketers now.
Matches:&nbsp;48 |&nbsp;Teams: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/">Royal Challengers Bengaluru</a>, Rajasthan Royals | Won:&nbsp;22 |&nbsp;Lost:&nbsp;26 |&nbsp;Tied:&nbsp;0 | Win%:&nbsp;45.83
<h4>Get the latest&nbsp;Cricket News&nbsp;and updates from the&nbsp;Indian Premier League (IPL),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-match-predictions/">Match Predictions</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/fantasy-cricket-tips/">Fantasy Cricket Tips&nbsp;</a>and lots more on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/">CricTracker.com</a>.</h4>

Captaincy plays a highly important role in T20 cricket. A good bowling change, a subtle field adjustment or the man managerial skills – all make a massive difference in the format. In a high-pressure

Five captains who have failed terribly in the IPL

All these players have got a good track record at the international level.

5 Worst captains in the history of IPL

Check out the list of five worst captains, who have led in a minimum of 25 matches, in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), only on CricTracker.