5 Worst ODI Captains Of India

Identifying the worst captains is a bit subjective. There are many factors that work behind leadership in the 50-over format. From the likes of team performance, personal leadership, to the overall impact of the game, the captains need to go through a lot of toll in life.

Leading any side in any format is a difficult job. However, there is always an additional pressure of leading the Indian side, with expectations on the shoulders and cameras following every single footstep of the individual.

Few improve their performance with the extra responsibility and get better. On the other hand, a few couldn’t repeat the same performance under pressure, and that affects the overall performance of the national side in the one-day format.

Here are the five worst ODI captains of India

5. Sourav Ganguly (65 defeats)

It’s hard to highlight the ODI captaincy career of Sourav Ganguly, who earned both success and failure. In his six years of leadership for the Indian side, the southpaw led them to 146 clashes with 65 defeats at a losing rate of 44.52.

The southpaw is India’s third-highest run-getter, with 11221 runs in 297 innings at an average of 40.95 and a strike rate of 73.65. He celebrated 22 centuries and 71 fifties with the best score of 183 runs.

Also Read: 3 Indian Players From Sunrisers Hyderabad Who Can Make Their International Debut After IPL 2025

Along with winning games, he also lost so many fixtures in the 50-over format.

4. Ravi Shastri (7 defeats)

Ravi Shastri is another leader in the ODIs, under whom India didn’t earn much success. In 11 games he captained from 1987 to 1991, the Blue Brigade lost seven encounters at a losing rate of 63.63.

Shastri was a decent performer with the bat and ball in the ODIs. He could not carry the national side to success in this format.

3. Kapil Dev (33 defeats)

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev, was one of the worst leaders in the 50-over format. In 74 clashes that he led the Blue Brigade in the ODI, the national side gained victory in 39 encounters, with 33 ending in defeats at a win-lose ratio of 1.18.

It was an incredible journey for Kapil and his army to blow away the West Indies in the final and England in the semifinal of the 1983 World Cup. However, there were many instances in the bilateral series when they couldn’t do well.

Kapil, who captained the side for five years, accumulated 39 wins at a winning percentage of 52.70.

2. Sunil Gavaskar (21 defeats)

The former Indian captain, Sunil Gavaskar, also had the same status as Tendulkar in the ODI captaincy. In 37 games that he led India in the 50-over format, 14 games went in their favor, with 21 defeats at a losing rate of 56.75%.

Gavaskar didn’t earn much success in formats like the Test matches. The right-handed batter smacked 3092 runs in 102 innings at an average of 35.13 and a strike rate of 62.26, thanks to one century and 27 half-centuries.

Also Read: Arshdeep Singh’s Spot In Indian Squad For England Test Tour Confirmed

In the past, they were not a strong side in the ODIs, with many players struggling in various departments of the game, and that could have worked against the Mumbai-born.

1. Sachin Tendulkar (43 defeats)

Sachin Tendulkar, despite all his success in the 50-over format, was one of India’s worst ODI captains in the history of the game. With the bat, he earned so much success. He is the leading run-getter of the 50-over format with 18426 runs in 452 innings.

Sachin carries an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23, shouldering 49 centuries and 96 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 200 runs against South Africa in Gwalior.

But he wasn’t a great ODI leader for various reasons. That could be because of his too much focus on the batting performance and a lack of a strong process in the leadership department. In 73 games, he has earned only 23 ODIs and lost 43 clashes with a losing percentage of 58.90.