IPL 2022: 3 captains with the worst record in IPL

One of the main reasons behind the IPL's success is the presence of a plethora of world-class players. Such is the assortment of riches that the role of a captain becomes paramount. The job of an IPL captain has never been an easy one given how high the stakes are.

Over the years, teams that have been successful have always had a captain that has left his own imprint on the side. However, there have also been appointments that have not been successful.

In this article, we take a look at three of the most unsuccessful IPL captains based on win percentage (minimum 20 games):

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#3 Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane did not find success as Rajasthan captain

Ajinkya Rahane led the Rajasthan Royals for a while, but he did not have an entirely memorable stint as the leader of the side. He captained the IPL team in 25 games and could only win nine of those, losing 16. This amounts to a win percentage of 36.

The former Indian Test vice-captain led the Rajasthan Royals through the 2019 IPL. He was then traded to the Delhi Capitals.

Rahane will feature for the Kolkata Knight Riders under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer this season.

View the IPL Orange Cap Winners here.

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#2 Mahela Jayawardene

Mahela Jayawardene found limited joy as a captain in the tournament

The former Sri Lankan captain is widely regarded as one of the most astute brains in cricket. He was very successful as the captain of his national side and has been instrumental in the Mumbai Indians' success in the tournament as the head coach.

Jayawardene was the captain of three IPL teams - Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi Daredevils (DD) and Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK). However, he never got a string of results going for him while shuttling between different teams.

As far as the numbers are concerned, Jayawardene captained in 30 games, and could win only nine while he losing 16 matches. One match ended in a tie.

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#1 Kumar Sangakkara

Sangakkara did not have a good time as captain

Mahela Jayawardene's Sri Lanka teammate and very close friend Kumar Sangakkara could never leave an imprint on the IPL with his captaincy. He holds the record for having the lowest win percentage by any captain in the history of the league.

Much like Jayawardene, Sangakkara too captained three sides - the Deccan Chargers, Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). In the 47 games he led these sides, he could only win 15, while he lost 30 games and had to deal with two ties. All of this amounts to a win percentage of 34.04.

In his first season as captain, Sangakkara led KXIP to a fifth-place finish in 2009. He then moved across to the Deccan Chargers in 2011 where he led them to a seventh-place finish. Their fortunes did not improve the following season as the Deccan Chargers finished 8th.