THIS edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has set forth some unique stories after change in leadership roles in some franchises. Two top names who would not be coming out for the toss are Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Both have made way for next generation players but continue to be in the top leadership role without any label. Sharma has made way for Hardik Pandya at the Mumbai Indians while Dhoni dropped another bombshell at the eleventh hour by handing over Chennai Super Kings captainship to Ruturaj Gaikwad. Both teams have remained good performers in the league and both Sharma and Dhoni had been among the successful captains to win the tournament on multiple occasions. Their role without the tag of captain will be watched with added curiosity in this edition. One thing that stands out for both Sharma and Dhoni is their ability to cut off the noise emanating on the social media over captaincy change.

 

The MI fans have been in an overdrive with either opinions on the decision to bring Pandya as captain. Trolling did affect Pandya a bit as he had to allay the apprehensions about his relation with Sharma by telling through media that the India captain remained the best support in the MI team to lean on to. But Sharma has kept himself totally aloof from the issue, concentrating on his captainship in the just-concluded Test series against England and then taking the MI assignment in a professional manner. This approach would define his new innings with MI as a senior player without leadership label. In the case of Dhoni, leadership is an ingrained virtue. There is not need for him to be called the captain, he will always be at the navigator’s seat for every player. The new captain Gaikwad has the best ally in Dhoni to lead the team for the thinking cap the wicketkeeper wears all the time on the field. Dhoni had done it in the past too by handing over captainship to Ravindra Jadeja two seasons ago.

 

That the southpaw could not handle the double pressure and handed it back to Dhoni is another story. But all the while when Jadeja was marshalling his troops, he had the most trusted lieutenant in Dhoni by his side. Gaikwad was a witness of that edition being a key player for CSK and this experience would make him sit pretty easy in the new role. The best part of leadership is, a true leader never stops himself from expressing his views that are in the interest of the team. It does not count whether he is the captain or the vice-captain, it is all about the studied input that helps the designated captain. International cricket has seen many players who never wore the captain’s hat but were always at the forefront of decision-making on the field. Shane Warne’s name comes out as a leader who could take control of things on the dint of his bowling and study of the game. Translating that study into a support for the captain in the team’s interest is what leadership is all about.