Captains in any sport have the added pressure of leadership. They are accountable for the team’s performance. They are celebrated in victories but have to cope with heavy criticism when the team faces a defeat. Therefore, there have been many players who have not been able to withstand the intense scrutiny and pressure of captaincy.
In a cricket crazy nations such as India, all the blame for a loss rests on the captain’s shoulders. Therefore, not many individuals opt for captaincy since it could affect their performance as a player. Over the years, many individuals have led India in ODIs as permanent captains or stand-in captains. We look at captains of the Indian ODI team with most number of defeats.
It is logical that a player who captains more matches would have a tendency to have a higher loss ratio. Therefore, we would be looking at the performances in percentage terms with the minimum number of matches captained being 15
1. Sachin Tendulkar
It is no secret that Tendulkar was not one of the most successful captains of India. He was proof that the best player in the team did not necessarily have to be a great captain. Of the 73 matches that he captained, India won 23 of them and lost 43. This resulted in an abysmal win ratio of 35% and is the lowest amongst all captains. His captaincy stint was from 1996-2000 before Ganguly took over.
2. Sunil Gavaskar
Another batting legend who could not become a great captain was Gavaskar. He captained India in 37 games from 1980-1985. Of these matches, India could win only 14 of them and lost 21. His win ratio was a terrible 40% and puts him in the second spot on the list.
3. Dilip Vengsarkar
Dilip captained India in an ad-hoc manner when the team was on the lookout for a permanent candidate. He captained India in 18 matches in total of which India won 8 and lost 10. His winning ratio stood at 44.44% at the end of his captaincy stint which extended from 1987 to 1989.
4. Sourav Ganguly
One of India’s most renowned captains, Ganguly is to be credited with India’s rise as an ODI power. His aggressive gameplay inspired generations to come. He led India for 146 matches and won a majority of them at 76. His win ratio as captain was an astounding 53.90% and he led the team to the 2003 World Cup finals which was the highlight of his career.
5. Mohammed Azharuddin and Kapil Dev
On the 5th spot, there is a tie between two legendary captains who have a win percentage of 54.16%. Kapil Dev captained India in 74 matches of which India won 39 and Azharuddin captained the team in 174 matches of which the team won 90. Both were determined and skillful as captains and the team rose to newer heights under both these leaders.
