IPL's trend: Great Captain, Great Team
With just two matches to go this IPL season it's time for some evaluation. Starting with the role of skippers and how important it is to have a skipper who leads by example.
- Rica Roy
- Updated: May 25, 2012 10:37 AM IST
With just two matches to go this IPL season it's time for some evaluation. Starting with the role of skippers and how important it is to have a skipper who leads by example.
Beginning with defending champions Chennai Super Kings' captain MS Dhoni. He's done it countless times for India, and he knows exactly how to shift the gear on the big stage for his IPL team as well. His 20-ball 51 against Mumbai in the eliminator showed just how important a role Dhoni plays.
Almost every time Mahi scores Chennai win. His nine IPL half-centuries have led to 8 wins for Chennai.
Another example of a captain leading by example is Gautam Gambhir. The opener helped Kolkata Knight Riders finish fourth last year and this year they are making their first ever appearance in the final.
Adam Gilchrist showed how crucial it is for the captain to perform in crunch matches. His 35-ball 85 in the semi-finals of IPL 2 helped the Deccan Chargers reach the final. And that momentum propelled them to the title.
Shane Warne was the first IPL captain to stamp his authority. Hollywood led a side of little known players to the inaugural IPL title. His leadership was considered as one of the main reasons for the surprise win in 2008.
Some captains have struggled to lead by example. Harbhajan Singh has taken just 6 wickets from 17 games. In fact he has such little confidence in himself that he has not completed his quota of 4 overs in 9 of the 17 matches he has played.
Virender Sehwag led his team to the top of the league table this year but the decision to send Pawan Negi ahead of Ross Taylor vs KKR in the qualifier and the fact that Delhi played one spinner on a slow track saw them lose the game.
Ultimately the captains will be judged on what they have won. So the challenge for Gambhir and Sehwag is to join MSD as a title winning captain.