To win an ICC event is every cricketer’s dream. A captain’s legacy is defined by the number of ICC trophies they were able to win. Not all captains are able to lead their team to ultimate glory. They had everything at their disposal but they fell short of the main crown. Here are 5 Captains Who Couldn’t Win An ICC Trophy.
There have been few captains who have been plain unlucky while few made tactical blunders. But at the core of it, they failed to live up to the promise of winning the trophy.
We look at 5 Captains Who Couldn’t Win An ICC Trophy
#5 Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene was regarded as one of the most brilliant cricket minds in the game. He was a tactically sound captain. Jayawardene led Sri Lanka from 2004-2013. He captained the side in 129 ODIs, winning 71 and losing 49 with a win percentage of 59.09.
However, he failed to win any ICC trophy for the team. The closest Lankans came to win an ICC trophy under him was during the 2007 ODI World Cup. They finished runners-up that edition.
#4 AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers was a batting genius. He redefined the realm of batting possibilities. ABD led the team from 2012 to 2017. He captained the side in 103 ODIs, winning 59 and losing 39 matches with a win percentage of 60.10. However, he failed to win an ICC trophy. South Africa suffered heartbreak in the 2015 World Cup semifinal when they lost out narrowly to New Zealand.
#3 Vivian Richards
Vivian Richards was the original king. He was undoubtedly the world’s best batsman. The West Indies legend captained the side from 1980 to 1991. He led the team in a total of 105 ODI games, winning 67 and losing 36 while 2 of them ended in a tie. However, the great Richards could never lead the Windies to an ICC trophy.
#2 Graeme Smith
Graeme Smith was a highly inspirational captain. He took South Africa to number 1 across all formats. Smith led the side with aplomb. He took over from Shaun Pollock and transformed Africa into a gun unit. Smith led the team in 150 ODIs winning 92 of them. He boasted a winning percentage of 64.23. However, he could not win an ICC trophy under his leadership.
#1 Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is arguably world cricket’s most celebrated captain. He led the Indian team in 95 ODIs from 2013 to 2021, winning 65 games and losing 27 with a win percentage of 70.43. In T20Is, he led the side in 50 games, winning 30 of them and losing 16.
But Kohli failed to lead the team to an ICC trophy. Under his leadership, India lost the final to Pakistan in Champions Trophy 2017, both World Cup semifinal (2019) and WTC 2019-21 final to New Zealand.
