CAPTAIN’S STYLE

 

IF THINGS have to go bad, they go bad in heaps. Right now, in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) this feelingisall-pervadingintheChennaiSuperKings(CSK) camp as the former multiple-time champions are facing an extended poor run. They are languishing at the bottom with no signs of recovery.

 

Though cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties and the league offering a chance for some permutations and combinations changing anytime, a play-off spot for CSK looks extremely difficult. The sinking feeling has seeped into the squad as is reflected in the helplessness expressed by CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In contrast, the perennial wooden-spooners Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are almost sure of making the play-offs. Riding on some fine performances from its star players and newcomers,RCB has defied expectations and are sitting among the favourites to win this edition of the IPL. The two scenarios reflect how swinging fortunes affect a collective thinking where even great leaders feel totally weak and ineffective. CSK has a talismanic captain in Dhoni. The man is known for his cool and calculated style of captaincy, bringing to the game new tricks to turn tables on the opponents. The aura he has created in the IPL is enough for the team to get their act right.Yet, despite all this, the entire CSK squad looks feeble and clueless.

 

Despite the inspiring leadership of Dhoni, the team has found itself caught in a mental rut. It is a downward spiral for the Yellow Brigade as team after team is easily breaching their Chepauk cauldron. They are a defeated lot -- first in the mind then on the field. Again contrasting this situation with the RCB march in this edition, a different leadership style has turned heads. Rajat Patidar has silently galvanised the team into a fighting unit. Theteamisusingtheresourcesathandwitharenewedvigour. Virat Kohli is leading the batting charge with some stupendous knocks. The bowlers are sticking to a fine plan as they are being used smartly by the captain. All in all, RCB is seen as a happy bunch of players gaining strength from each other.

 

The spring in the step ofVirat Kohli tells it all. He is enjoying the stint as a navigator to his captain. And Patidar is using all the experience around him to weave a neat game-plan in each game. This is the turnaround the team was hoping for in all these years. Patidar has come as a pivot for this change. The IPL is always a test of leadership. Away from the checklist is the mantle of leadership through personal talks. It is always the leader’s calming support that prods a player to raise the bar. The captain-player connect plays a vital role in a team’s final performance. This seems to be the difference inChennaiandBengaluru.Despitehisleadingabilities,Dhoni is failing in inspiring confidence in his team-mates. While Patidar is keeping a low profile and using the experience and tactical acumen of the seniors around him to deliver a knockout punch. In the end, it all boils down to leadership.