Smart and shrewd captaincy plays a big role in the success of a team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). A crucial bowling change or an imaginative field placing can tilt the balance of a match.
Every Twenty20 match is a gruelling test of the captain's skills. Years back, it was the captain's charisma that played a big role; but today it is all about his ability to produce a winning result by pushing his players constantly.
I was fortunate to have watched Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi lead the Indian team onto the field. His walking style, the manner in which he handed the ball to the bowler and instructed the fielders ...all of these had some style attached, and a treat to watch.
As a brilliant fielder himself, he used to position himself at covers, but never did he run up to his bowler and hug him or jump on to him to express his happiness on taking a wicket, like most captains do today. The most he did was tap him on the back or clap in appreciation from his fielding position.
West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd and Pakistan's Imran Khan too were captains who hardly moved from their position to express their appreciation. They had such an aura about them that a smile or a clap from them was enough to inspire their bowlers.
It is difficult to imagine such captains in today's Twenty20 cricket! They would have been accused of being weak captains. All captains these days are hyper-expressive and are virtually on their toes to race towards a bowler or fielder to laud them for their feat.
Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne was at his expressive best against Kings XI Punjab while guiding his team to victory. A soft-spoken and reserved Anil Kumble is more expressive as captain of the Bangalore Royals than he was when he led the Indian team.
In fact, Twenty20 is so fast-paced that a captain has to play a crucial role in maintaining the momentum.
In a chat with Sri Lanka and King's XI Punjab captain Kumar Sangakkara over captaincy in Twenty20, he candidly admitted that very often a captain may not get time to take a rational decision.
"One has to always keep an eye on time, another eye on your decisions and on the opportunities that come your way to take advantage of the situation," he said.
