Ajinkya Rahane Seeks MS Dhoni's Calmness, Virat Kohli's Aggression

First, you begin with a goal; a goal of representing your country as you go about the rigours of domestic cricket. And once you have done that you visualise yourself at some point of time to lead your side when you cross that boundary rope. Head held high, donning the jersey with an added pump on your chest and leading by example; all of them at one go are bound to give any cricketer a kind of high that he cannot put to words. (Dhoni, Kohli Rested; Rahane to Lead) 

India's latest entrant in the captain's corner Ajinkya Rahane is experiencing that kind of high at the moment. It's been barely 36 hours since the young lad was named captain of the ODI side for the Zimbabwe tour starting in a week's time. He hasn't allowed the latest feather in his cap to get into his head. Instead, Rahane is focussed on leading by example and excel in this new responsibility. In an exclusive chat with bcci.tv, Rahane speaks about the elation of captaining India in the forthcoming tour of Zimbabwe as he looks for consistency in the 50-over format. (Ajinkya Rahane Has Come of Age, Says Dilip Vengsarkar)

Excerpts from the interview

First of all, how excited are you to lead the ODI side in Zimbabwe?

I am really excited about this. I would like to thank BCCI and the selectors for giving me this opportunity. The decision of naming me captain did come as a surprise because I wasn't thinking about captaincy ever. I didn't know how to react when I heard the news. I called my parents and took their blessings and they were happy. Once the news slowly began to sink in, I became really confident of handling this new responsibility. I am sure this move will take me forward and I will strive to do my best. It is a new challenge and responsibility in my career and I am looking forward to it. I know my work ethics and I will achieve success step by step. (Bangladesh Daily Ridicules Team India)

You have captained the Mumbai U-19 side in the past. How was that experience?

That experience was really good. I captained the Mumbai U-19 side in the Cooch Behar trophy and the Ranji Trophy T20 team. I did a bit for the Mumbai ODI side too. I learnt a lot from those experiences even though I was just a year or two old in my domestic career that time. Playing for Mumbai and now captaining India, it all feels like a dream. I know my abilities and I know how capable I am. I am looking forward to this new role. (Rahane 'Sincere, Hard-Working', Happy He's Captain: Sachin Tendulkar)

Growing up, did you ever feel you would captain the Indian ODI side one day?

I never thought about it. I normally like to be in the present. But, every cricketer's dream is playing for your country and captaining India is like the ultimate goal. I am really proud of myself at the moment and I am glad that the BCCI and selectors found myself worthy of being a captain of the side. I know it is just for one series, but I am really happy at the moment. Being the captain will give me a lot of confidence. I am looking forward to enjoying this new responsibility as a captain and as a player. Captaining India is huge and I am proud of this little achievement. I am happy the way I have paced my career so far and I will continue to give my best from here on. I am sure I will do my team proud. (Ravi Shastri an Elder Brother to Team India Players)

Talking about the Zimbabwe tour, how difficult & challenging will it be to lead a side that is without the services of the cream of seniors?

It is a very good side that we have for the Zimbabwe tour. These are guys who have had a good run in the domestic and IPL season. They have got their rewards for their consistent performances. Every player has played their part towards their respective team's success. I am excited to lead this bunch of guys and looking forward to joining them really soon. As a captain I believe it is always important to back your players and give them confidence. I want to lead by example and be positive at all times. It is a challenge to lead a side that doesn't have the services of the seniors, but every international tour is challenging. We take every opposition seriously and Zimbabwe is no different. My motive will be to give the guys the confidence to perform, speak to them and motivate each other throughout the tournament. (India's Tour of Zimbabwe - An Opportunity for Murali Vijay)

Over the years, you have played under various captains - Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni & Virat Kohli. What are the things that you would like to imbibe from each of those captains?

Firstly, playing under MS Dhoni I would observe how he would be calm on the field. He has a very peculiar and calm way of handling situations. I would like to take that quality from him. What I would like to take from Virat Kohli would be controlled aggression. You can see that quality in his batting and his captaincy. And finally, Rahul bhai is someone who likes to keep things really simple on the field which I got to know while playing under him with the Rajasthan Royals. Having said that, I have my own set of ideas and I know what I have to do on the field. Obviously I have others to help me out as well and I wouldn't mind running up to them for advices. But I would like to take calmness, controlled aggression and simplicity from the three captains that I just spoke about.

You have a very close association with Dravid during your stint with Rajasthan Royals. Have you ever had talks about captaincy in particular with Dravid?

When I am with Rahul bhai during the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals, I always go up to him and talk to him in general about cricket. We would have long chats during practice sessions. I didn't speak to Rahul bhai about captaincy in particular, but we would definitely talk about the planning process. I have observed planning patterns of MS Dhoni as well and all such instances will help me when I am captaining the side in Zimbabwe. Even during the match I would always think like a captain and try to evaluate ways of reacting like a captain. I would ask myself what I would have done and how my thinking process would have been if I were the captain of the side in a similar situation. Even in general it is very important to analyse every game and cricketer. This helps in gaining more cricketing knowledge. If you keep improving on the cricketing knowledge and you have a hunger to learn, you will achieve the desired results for your team.

What brand of captaincy would you be looking to incorporate in this tour?

As a captain you have to think about a lot of things. You have to access the situations and conditions and analyse every opposition. We will actually get a good idea of how to strategise when we meet as a group and jot down our plan in Zimbabwe. I am just looking forward to back my instincts and back my style of leadership. Every cricketer has his own style of playing the game and captaining the side. I am sure that my little experiences as captain at the Junior level will help me here. My main motive will be to give confidence to all the players in the side and back them. I will be taking help from the support staff as well. I also have the experience of Harbhajan Singh in the side whose guidance will be of great help. I have tried to learn from each and every captain I have played under. I would like to keep things simple just like my batting. I feel I am strong and I can handle any situation.

Have you taken a cue or two from playing under Steven Smith and Shane Watson in the IPL?

It has been a great learning experience playing under both of them. Steven Smith is a very instinctive captain and Watson is someone who would give a listen to advices from all corners. From Smith's point of view I realised that as a captain you have to back your instincts. You have to believe in your own abilities and trust your instincts to come good. Even Dhoni is someone who backs his instincts. I will do the same and keep things really simple.

Shifting focus to your batting form in ODIs, do you think you haven't been able to transform your T20 & Test success in the 50-over format?

I am in good form at the moment and I have been batting well. I am looking for consistency in the ODI format and I am learning from my mistakes. I try to rectify my mistakes in each and every practice session and every time I walk out to bat I try not to repeat those mistakes. It is a constant effort to learn and improve your game irrespective of the format. I know my batting well and have been learning about my skills from my senior players as well.

What are the areas you think you need to work on to get better in ODIs?

I think it is all about how you think in every format. I feel in T20s and Test matches my mindset has been really great. I bat in a different zone in those two formats but in ODIs I think I need to work on my thought process. My time is now, I am confident but not over confident. I am confident that I will do well in ODIs as well and I am not far away from striking form in the 50-over format. If I give my hundred percent in the process I am sure the results will flow.

But there has been a lot of talk about your paltry success in ODIs. Does it bother you at all?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and my aim is to keep looking after myself and my game. If I do such things well, I know this game will reward me back. It is the process that matters to me and not the results. I am sure I will get consistent in ODIs like in Tests & T20s. Ups and downs are part and parcel of a cricketer's life. It is very important to think positive during those times.

Does it get difficult to play in the middle-order especially after you have been playing as an opener in your formative years?

I have been opening for Mumbai and the Rajasthan Royals but I don't have a say in the the batting order. It is up to the team management. There is no technical change that you need to do to become successful in a specific batting position. It is all about the mindset. Technique comes into the picture when you are playing under different situations. Mindset is the ultimate key for a batsman or a bowler to be successful. My success will depend on how I prepare mentally for certain roles in the team. If you are batting at the top order, you have the time to get used to the new ball movement and then play your shots. In the middle order you need to play according to the demands of the situation. You have to change your game accordingly. I have been working on that aspect for success in the middle order.

What do you make of the new ODI rules?

With the new ODI rules in place, it will be a new challenge and we will get used to it once we start implementing it in the Zimbabwe tour. You also need to change the strategies accordingly. We will get an idea of it after the first ODI and understand how challenging it will be for the batsmen and the bowlers.

What do you look to achieve from the Zimbabwe tour?

We would like to finish on a high and we want to do well in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe have been playing well of late and put up a spirited performance in the World Cup. We will play to our potential and give our best and I am sure every player in the squad is really confident and looking forward to the series. As a captain and a team player I want to do well and come out winning.