Successful International captains who could not make it big in the IPL

Many world-class players have played in the cash-rich Indian Premier League over the last decade.

But not many of them were able to replicate their International success in the IPL. This is because the IPL is a different ball game, where only the form and strategies matter.

The cricketing world has witnessed several successful captains in its history and a very few of them have tried their luck in the IPL.

The unfortunate thing is that they could not recreate the magic in the most followed T20 league. Let us now look at the successful International captains who could not make it big in the IPL.

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#1 Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting was bought by the Shahrukh Khan co-owned Kolkata Knight Riders side during the 2008 IPL auctions.

Ponting played just four games for the Knight Riders in which he scored 39 runs. He did not enter the cash-rich tournament in the next four seasons.

In 2013, he was bought by the Mumbai Indians for whom he played just one season. In the six matches he played for Mumbai, Ponting scored 52 runs.

He was captaining the side in the 2013 IPL, only to be replaced by Rohit Sharma after a disappointing start to the season.

Eventually, Mumbai clinched the title under Rohit defeating Chennai in the finals. In spite of winning the title in his second IPL stint, Ponting did not have a memorable season with the bat once again.

But, the cricketing world will never ever witness a captain like Ricky Ponting. He is the most capped captain in both the tests and ODIs.

He captained the Aussies for ten years (2002-2012) and won two ICC Cricket World cups- in 2003 and 2007.

He boasts of a winning percentage of 76.14% in the ODIs. Unfortunately, he did not have a memorable IPL career. Ponting guided Mumbai to the second IPL title in 2015, but this time as their coach.

#2 Stephen Fleming

Stephen Fleming currently coaches CSK

The former Kiwi skipper was bought by Chennai Super Kings during the inaugural IPL auctions in 2008.

He played just one season for the Super Kings in which he scored 196 runs in ten matches. In the next season, he was appointed the coach of the Yellow army and he guided them to a semi-final finish in his first ever stint as a coach.

Fleming guided CSK to successive titles in the next two editions in 2010 and 2011.

Though he did not have a lucrative career as a CSK player, he has been immensely successful as their coach and has been a guiding light for MS Dhoni's men over the years.

Fleming led the Blackcaps for ten years (from 1997-2007) and is the second most capped skipper in both the tests and ODIs.

He stepped down from the captaincy after guiding New Zealand to a semi-final finish at the 2007 ICC Cricket World cup in West Indies.

Unfortunately, Fleming could not replicate his International success in the IPL. He is the current head coach of the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.

#3 Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith was part of the Rajasthan Royals squad for the first three seasons

Smith was a part of the Rajasthan Royals in the first three editions of the IPL. Though he won the title with Rajasthan in the inaugural season, he did not have a memorable stint with the bat.

Smith then played for the now-defunct, Pune Warriors India franchise in 2011. Overall, he played 29 IPL matches in which he scored 739 runs at a strike-rate of 110.63.

Smith who is now 37, could have played some more years of IPL. As for as the International arena is concerned, Smith is the most successful test captain with 53 wins.

He captained the Proteas for eight years from 2003-2011 and boasts of a winning percentage of 64.23 in the ODIs.

#4 Darren Sammy

Darren Sammy is the only captain to win the ICC T20 World Cup twice

The inclusion of Sammy in this list might be a bit surprising, but he has achieved something unique as a captain in the T20Is. Sammy is the only captain to win the ICC T20 World cup twice- (2012, 2016). He guided the West Indies to two emphatic titles in four years.

Sammy, who has played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, could not replicate his T20I success in the IPL.

In 22 IPL matches, Sammy has scored 295 runs and has taken 11 wickets in the three seasons he played in the IPL.

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