5 Worst T20I Captains Of India

In T20Is, captaincy is certainly a crucial part of the game. Despite having a strong batting and bowling department, a leader needs to use the resources pretty well and understand the inner strong zones of his players.

A tiny but solid knock, a small field change, or the skill set in the fielding department can significantly change the flow of the game. The responsibility remains huge on the captains, whether for the franchises or the national side.

It’s the same for the Indian T20I captains, who generally get into the limelight more than expected. Generally, the selectors have used it as a format where they could give rest to the all-format players, and that gives chances to various individuals to lead the national side.

Here are the five worst T20I captains of India.

1. Shikhar Dhawan (2 defeats)

Shikhar Dhawan got the chance to lead the Indian side during the 2021 series in Sri Lanka. With another squad featuring in the Test series in England during the same period, Dhawan got the chance to captain the side in the shortest format.

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However, he couldn’t do well in the format, with two defeats in three clashes at a losing rate of 66.67%. Even in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the southpaw has experienced an underwhelming performance in the leadership.

Captaining the Punjab Kings and the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dhawan earned 17 defeats in 27 games at a losing percentage of 62.96.

2. Rishabh Pant (2 defeats)

At the age of just 24, Rishabh Pant became the second-youngest Indian captain in the shortest format. He captained the team during their home series against South Africa in 2022.

In the total of five games under his leadership for India, Pant won just two clashes with a losing percentage of 40. Some of his decisions in crucial stages of the game raise more questions than answers. His usage of bowlers is also another aspect of the subject.

Leading the Lucknow Super Giants and the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, Pant faced 26 defeats in 56 games at a losing percentage of 46.72.

3. Ajinkya Rahane (1 defeat)

Ajinkya Rahane captained the Blue Brigade in two T20I clashes. One of these was the encounter against England at Old Trafford in Manchester in 2011. On the other hand, the second defeat came against the West Indies at Lauderhill in 2016.

Even though he won against England, Rahane faced a loss against the Caribbean side. He remains in the third position of the list. In the case of the Indian Premier League, Rahane gained just 14 wins in 37 clashes, with a losing rate of nearly 60%.

This year, under his captaincy, the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) failed to qualify for the playoffs of the tournament. It’s another feather to Rahane’s worst captaincy record.

4. Hardik Pandya (5 defeats)

It’s hard to put Hardik Pandya’s name on the list of worst T20I captains. However, that has been the interesting part. In 16 clashes under his captaincy, the two-time World T20 Champions gained five defeats with one no-result at a losing rate of 31.25.

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Meanwhile, in the IPL, it is a total turnaround for the all-rounder. He captained the side in 57 clashes, with 23 defeats at a losing percentage of just over 40.

5. Virat Kohli (16 defeats)

Virat Kohli is in the list due to his failure to win a T20 World Cup. In 50 T20Is under his leadership, they have earned 30 victories at a losing rate of 32%. During his captaincy, for the first time, they faced defeat against Pakistan in a T20 World Cup contest, which came in Dubai by 10 wickets.

In the IPL captaincy history for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Virat earned 70 losses in 143 games at a percentage of 48.95.