Presenting Indian captains with most Test defeats in a season
What's the story
Despite winning the ICC T20 World Cup, India endured a rough patch in Test cricket in 2024 (latter half). They faced a humiliating 3-0 series defeat by New Zealand at home before losing two Tests Down Under. Rohit Sharma, whose leadership skills have been under the scanner, lost five Tests as captain in 2024/25, the joint-most by an Indian captain in a season.
#1
Rohit Sharma: 5 matches
As mentioned, India lost five Test matches under the leadership of Rohit in the 2024/25 season. He led India to just two Test wins in this period, with a solitary game ending in draw. India defeated Bangladesh 2-0 at home before losing the New Zealand series. Moreover, Rohit was also under the cosh due to dip in his batting form.
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A forgettable feat for Rohit
As per ESPNcricinfo, Rohit now has the lowest average for a top-seven batter with a minimum of 15 innings in a Test season. He scored just 164 runs from eight Tests at an average of 10.93 in the 2024/25 season.
#2
Sachin Tendulkar: 5 matches
Rohit now has the joint-most Test defeats by an Indian captain in a season along with Sachin Tendulkar. The Master Blaster also lost five Tests while leading the side in the 1999/00 season. Notably, India won just one of their eight Tests in that season, drawing two. This includes three defeats to Australia Down Under. India's only Test from the season came at home.
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Seven other Indian captains tied for this spot
A total of seven other Indian captains have lost more than three Test matches in a season. The likes of Lala Amarnath, Mohammad Azharuddin, MS Dhoni, Datta Gaekwad, Virat Kohli, MAK Pataudi, and Dilip Vengsarkar have lost four Tests each in this regard.