Cricket World Cup History: India’s World Cup Captains – Where are they now?

#3 Mohammad Azharuddin:

Mohammad Azharuddin

After the decline of Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, Azharuddin took over the as the captain of the Indian team succeeding Srikkanth in 1989. He was a classic middle-order batsman who was known for his aggressive style of play even when the team was in trouble. This reflected in his captaincy as well. Having led the team in three World Cups (1992,1996 and 1999) and is the only Indian captain to do so, Mohammad Azharuddin failed to bring the prestigious trophy to India.

In 1992, the team got eliminated in the group stage with just 2 wins and 5 defeats. They entered the 1996 World Cup as the favourites. They lived up to the expectations of the fans as they made it to the last four but faced a humiliating defeat against Sri Lanka.

The dry run continued for India as they were again eliminated in the Super Six stage in 1999. Despite all success, his career came to a controversial end when he was given a lifetime ban in a match-fixing scandal. He had to wait until 2012 to get the decision overturned. Apart from his cricket life, he is a politician from the Indian National Congress holding the position of Working President of Telangana Congress.