3 IPL captains sacked after just one season

“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”, Shakespeare’s famous line captures perfectly what it means to be a captain in the IPL. Leading a side in the league is no small responsibility. It demands self-belief, resilience, and the ability to handle constant scrutiny. When a team thrives, the captain is showered with praise. But when things go wrong, the backlash is swift and relentless, amplified by the glare of social media.

Captaining in the IPL is an honour, yet not everyone gets the luxury of time to prove themselves. Some leaders are stripped of the role after just one season. Here are three such cases.

1. Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal has long been admired for his elegant stroke play, scoring 2756 runs in 131 matches across stints with Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, RCB, and SRH since debuting in 2011. In 2022, Punjab Kings handed him the captaincy. He led them in 13 matches, winning 7 and losing 6, with a win percentage of 53.85 per cent. Despite a respectable record, Agarwal was removed after just one season, with Shikhar Dhawan appointed captain in 2023.

2. Ravindra Jadeja

In 2022, CSK entrusted Ravindra Jadeja with the captaincy after their title-winning campaign the previous year. Taking over from MS Dhoni was always going to be a daunting task, and Jadeja’s tenure started poorly. He managed only 2 wins in 8 matches, suffering 6 defeats. With the team struggling, CSK reinstated Dhoni as captain mid-season, ending Jadeja’s brief stint in charge.

3. Aiden Markram

Aiden Markram had proven his leadership credentials by guiding Sunrisers Eastern Cape to back-to-back SA20 titles in 2022–23 and 2023–24. But his IPL captaincy with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023 was far less successful. He oversaw 13 matches, winning only 4 and losing 9, which gave him a win percentage of 30.77 per cent. Despite expectations that he would continue in 2024, SRH surprised many by replacing him with Pat Cummins before the season began.