Over the years, Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen several great captains including the likes of MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir. But there have been many incidents when captains had to bear the burnt of poor on-field performances. And as a result, franchises removed them from the role. Let us take a look at top 5 controversial IPL captain removals.
| Name | Franchise |
| Sourav Ganguly | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| David Warner | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| MS Dhoni | Rising Pune Supergiants |
| Ravindra Jadeja | Chennai Super Kings |
| Rohit Sharma | Mumbai Indians |
5 controversial captain removals
Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Sourav Ganguly was an iconic player for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from 2008 to 2010 in IPL. In his three-year association, KKR did not have much success. While he did perform at his best in IPL 2010, ahead of IPL 2011, the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise decided to release the former India captain. Gautam Gambhir came in as the new skipper for the next edition.
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David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Under the leadership of David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad succeeded in lifting the coveted trophy for the first time. However, controversies began to erupt when the team management left Warner out at team hotel following a series on poor performances. The rift in the relations between Warner and the SRH team management took an ugly turn with the Australian choosing to support the team from the stands. The left-handed batter left the franchise before IPL 2022 and joined Delhi Capitals.
MS Dhoni (Rising Pune Supergiants)
MS Dhoni took the charge of Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016 after the Chennai franchise was suspended. Dhoni led RPSG in IPL 2016 before he was removed for the next edition. Pune Supergiants owner then stated that MS Dhoni was replaced by Steve Smith as the captain of the Rising Pune Supergiants side after failing to lift the title.
Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)
Mumbai Indians went on to win five IPL titles under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. However, Hardik Pandya was appointed as the new skipper, replacing Rohit Sharma. Many felt Rohit’s sacking was unfair and uncalled for as the MI franchise faced a lot of criticism for the fans on social media.
Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings)
Ravindra Jadeja was named as the skipper of Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2022. Under his performance, CSK did not do well in the initial phase of the IPL. As a result, Chennai Super Kings announced that MS Dhoni will be returning as their captain after Ravindra Jadeja relinquished the role to “focus on his game”.
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