The shortest format of the game has subverted the paradigm of what constitutes good captaincy. Unlike in other formats where the captain can have off days, it’s a bare necessity for a T20 franchise skipper to be an astute strategist, a ruthless decision maker and someone who leads by setting an example.
With a mere delivery deciding the course and possibly the result of the match, a lacklustre leader with a mind can adversely ruin his team’s chance towards a shot at glory. In a game where a batsman’s big hitting prowess are applauded and a bowler’s economy noticed every time, making bowling changes that inspire and setting fields that stop the flow of easy runs are equally important cogs in the giant T20 wheel.
The eight captains of the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League averaged 45.18 while scoring 3931 runs (yes, 1821 of those runs belong to Virat Kohli and David Warner alone), the best batting display by the captains in any edition of the IPL.
Four captains make their presence felt in the top six run scorers list as well. However, captaincy is not just about an individual’s brilliance with the willow but the elegance with which one marshals his troops to play cohesively in a single unit.
Here’s a look at the impressions of the eight captains in the just concluded IPL.
#1 ZAHEER KHAN (DD) – 8.5/10
The only bowler to captain an IPL franchise this year, Zaheer Khan’s refreshing insight into the working of the experienced campaigners and the psyche of the younger domestic players was a sight to behold.
Aptly guided by Rahul Dravid and Paddy Upton, Zaheer’s handling of a relatively young team, while guiding and mentoring them, has earned him special praise from many quarters.
Being a shrewd, hands-on captain with his excellent bowling changes, both in the Powerplay as well as the death overs, handsomely helped in curtailing the flow of runs which in turn forced the batsmen to make mistakes and falter. Always with a smile to offer even after heartbreaking losses, Zaheer was hardly critical of his young squad, stating that the mistakes they made would enable them to flourish later on in their careers.
Although it weakened the batting attack, playing Nathan Coulter-Nile along with Chris Morris, was a masterstroke, which improved the team balance leaps and bounds. For finally making Delhi a contender in the league after an abysmal start to the tournament and pretty poor last couple of years, Zaheer has been touted as the best captain of this year’s Indian Premier League.
#2 DAVID WARNER (SRH) – 8/10
Leading his team to the title despite being overwhelming underdogs – beating a dangerous opposition in the final – speaks volumes of Warner’s captaincy skills. Impressing as well as shocking with his decision to bat first in the title game at the Chinaswamy, regarded unanimously as the best chasing ground in the world, Warner set the benchmark for all captains in this year’s IPL.
Deciding to back his strength by opting to bowl despite being wholly aware that Bangalore were riding on the form of chase-master Virat Kohli, Warner showed immense self -belief in his young bowling squad, who had been the mainstays of the Sunrisers Hyderabad team throughout the tournament.
Whilst most teams choose to strengthen their batting squads in the short format, Warner and the support staff’s ploy to go all out with a menacing pace attack in the slow pitches needs praiseworthy applause.
Curtailing his inbuilt aggressive instincts, which had hampered his cricketing career in the past, the Australian was an image of calmness, only exploding once in a while when his fellow teammates let him down by playing brash shots. Leading a team of youngsters by example and backing them to the hilt in crunch situations, Warner followed his instincts to perfection, motivating the inexperienced caps by taking on responsibility with the bat, which eventually helped them clinch their maiden trophy.
#3 SURESH RAINA (GL) – 8/10
Surprising and shocking one and all, new entrants Gujarat Lions franchise ended on top spot after the round robin stage. Having the best match winners from Chennai Super Kings could be seen as an advantage for Suresh Raina, who was donning the role as a full-fledged captain for the very first time in the IPL.
Branching out from Dhoni’s wings to flourish under a new coach and a new franchise, Raina was impressive in his bowling changes and tactics.
By bowling his mainstays Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni and Dwayne Bravo in the death to curtail the flow of runs or introducing spin against foreign players, Raina impressed with his captaincy, drawing applause from the critics.
The left-hander believed in having fun, both on and off the field, which enabled his players to express themselves freely. Without restraints, Raina’s Lions contributed as a team, gelling as a unit in a short duration of time.
#4 VIRAT KOHLI (RCB) – 7/10
In a tournament which centred around Kohli’s batting heroics, segregating the 27 year old’s captaincy from his batting requires an unbiased eye.
Having the best batting team at their disposal, the Royal Challengers were undone by an equally weak bowling attack in the initial stages of the tournament, which saw them placed at a lowly number seven till Kohli the batsman decided to run havoc.
Ignoring Chris Gayle from the playing eleven, keeping the talented Sarfaraz Khan out of the team despite his death over heroics against Bhuvaneshwar Kumar or dropping Yuzvendra Chahal, the most effective RCB bowler in the previous seasons, were some moves that just proved wrong tactically. Bringing in six changes after a loss spoke of an unsettled think tank and it took a Kohli masterstroke with the bat to guide his team to the second spot in the IPL standings after they had been pushed to the corner.
#5 ROHIT SHARMA (MI) – 7/10
True to their style in the previous editions of the IPL, the Mumbai Indians’ campaign wore an inconsistent look, with bright sparks of splendour interspersed with ordinary moments on the field. Having lost four of their first five matches, Rohit Sharma took it upon himself to open the innings, reviving his team’s fortunes with brilliant stroke-play and reliable leadership qualities.
Taking the initiative, Rohit single-handedly inspired a team of match-winners to excel in the tournament. Backing youngsters like Krunal Pandya and making intuitive bowling changes earned him the praise of former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. The Bengal southpaw rated Rohit as the most inspiring captain of this season, rating him above the likes of Dhoni, Gambhir and Kohli.
#6 GAUTAM GAMBHIR (KKR) – 6.5/10
Often pitted against Mahendra Singh Dhoni to be called the best captain of the IPL, Gautam Gambhir had an inconsistent tournament, both in terms of batting as well as his captaincy skills.
Riding on a wave of brilliant strategy making in the initial weeks of the league, Gambhir’s KKR stamped their authority in the league by claiming the top spot. His backing of Sunil Narine, who had to undergo changes in his bowling action was a heartening sign from a captain towards his trump card of the previous seasons.
However, as the tournament progressed, Gambhir’s famed (and unnecessary) aggression made an entry into the league. Plagued by a number of tactics which failed to work, the former India opener was seen losing his calm and composure towards his teammates as well as his opposition. Known for his genius handling of a talented bunch, Gambhir’s strategies – chopping and changing and unrequired tinkering of the batting line-up – eventually cost KKR a spot in the top two.
#7 MURALI VIJAY (KXIP) – 5.5/10
Taking over the reigns from David Miller, Murali Vijay could do only so much to prevent his franchise from being awarded with the wooden spoon for the second time in a row. Although he was the most impressive performer for his team this season, the lack of intent by his foreign counterparts, namely Miller and Glenn Maxwell, hurt the team’s chances.
Even though he impressed in his maiden outing as captain, upsetting table toppers Gujarat Lions, his inability to get his team together to perform as a unit led to Punjab’s dismal display throughout the tournament. The individual brilliance of their new ball bowlers notwithstanding, the team miserably failed in this year’s IPL.
#8 MS DHONI (RPS) – 5/10
It was for the very first time in the history of the IPL that Dhoni’s team failed to find a place in the knock-out stages of the tournament. After the unprecedented suspension of his former franchise Chennai Super Kings, Dhoni was made the captain of the new outfit Rising Pune Supergiants.
Boasting of a number of match winners, the team failed to flatter after romping to a clinical win against the Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener. As four of Dhoni’s top international recruits made it to the injured list one by one and returned home, the skipper was left stranded with a team that had immense potential but failed to display their talent on the big stage.
Dhoni’s mercurial handling of Ravichandran Ashwin and his constant preference for all quicks except Irfan Pathan strengthened cries of a personal bias being exhibited by the Indian captain. His management of newbie Murugan Ashwin and that of the impressive Rajat Bhatia, who failed to find a spot in the team after decent performances, raised eyebrows.
Lacking the impulsive knack that made Dhoni the man with the Midas touch, The Ranchi lad was unable to set the stage on fire with the bat as well, capping off a forgettable IPL performance, wherein his team finished seventh on the points table.
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