The majority of captains in IPL 6 are not Indian. There are four Indian captains and five foreign ones. This in itself is not surprising. There is just one Indian national side but plenty of foreign players who have led their countries – Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara come immediately to mind. So does Ricky Ponting.
But the law of averages may be working against the majority of teams this season. Having a captain with experience is one thing. Having a captain with the relevant experience is another.
A quick look at the points table shows that that three of the top four teams are all being lead by Indians: Rahul Dravid leads Rajasthan Royals, Virat Kohli leads Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mahendra Singh Dhoni heads Chennai Super Kings. This is not a coincidence.
Last season all four teams that made the play-offs were led by Indians. Delhi Daredevils had Virender Sehwag, Kolkata Knight Riders had Gautam Gambhir and Mumbai Indians had Harbhajan Singh (CSK and Dhoni were the fourth team). Having a local player at the top is a big advantage when it comes to evaluating and communicating with the seven Indian domestic players that each team must play, not to mention the other Indian players in each squad. Ponting might value winning above all else, but he isn’t going to be able to tell Rishi Dhawan from Dhawal Kulkarni from the start, let alone be able to comment on their respective abilities.
On the other hand, a Dravid or a Dhoni will not only be more familiar with the domestic players, they will have a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. In the game against Mumbai Indians, Royals sent in Dishant Yagnik at no 3 instead of Dravid and the move worked, even while some wondered why Brad Hodge was not promoted. Yagnik racked up 34 from 24 balls and Hodge eventually came in at no 5 and provided Royals with the finishing kick they needed.
After the match, Dravid said the team took a punt with Yagnik and it came off. Another day, it might not have come off. But understanding Yagnik’s abilities allowed Dravid to take that punt and keep Hodge in reserve in case Yagnik failed. Had he sent Hodge up front and the Australian had failed, there would have been more pressure on Yagnik down the order. This way the more experienced player was there at the end, where you want him.
Indian captains also have a deeper knowledge of the pitches and stadiums better than there foreign counterparts, and can adjust their XIs accordingly. Dravid did precisely this against Mumbai Indians, when he opted for two spinners and they strangled Mumbai’s chase from the start.
As for the experience as a captain, Kohli is proving that is overrated too. If a person has leadership skills, they have leadership skills. Sure, he is on a steep learning curve but he has already shown he backs himself and his players. Kohli came out to bat alongside Gayle in the Super Over against Sunrisers Hyderabad, taking the responsibility on his own shoulders, but picked AB de Villiers against Daredevils despite top scoring in the innings because de Villiers gave them the better chance of scoring big, as it turned out.
It is no surprise that de Villiers has already come out and said Kohli will become a world-class captain in a few years.
While there is no doubting the tactical ability of players such as Jayawardene and Sangakkara, captaincy is also about knowing the conditions and your team members and knowing whom you can trust in what situation. It is where the Dravids and Dhonis have a huge advantage, and why the teams led by them will be more likely to have a part to play at the business end of the tournament.
']]}