Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir gave his opinion on whether captaincy affects a player’s game. He disagreed with that statement and cited the example of Indian cricket greats in MS Dhoni and Anil Kumble.
Captaincy arguably plays a very important role in the game of cricket. The captain of the team makes a big difference and sometimes his tactics can even outshine other teams and help the team win the match. Thanks to leadership, many players have achieved great achievements in their careers.
The game of cricket has had many captains over the years who have made a great name for themselves. One of the most important things as a captain is to lead from the front and there have been exceptional leaders who have handled leadership and their performances beautifully.
However, not everyone can cope with the pressure of leadership. There have also been several players on whom the captaincy took its toll. Their individual performance dropped after taking on the role and they eventually had to resign.
But Gautam Gambhir feels that leadership does not affect the batsman’s game. He believes that it all depends on individual mindset and cited how even Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma proved it. Speaking to Sportskeeda, he explained:
“I don’t think being captain affects a batsman’s game. There have been many captains who have given great performances as captains. It’s about individual mentality. MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble have performed well. Similarly, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have also done so.
When a captain comes out to bat, his main job is to score runs – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir emphasized his point by saying that the captain’s main job while batting is to score runs. He pointed out that captaincy is the additional responsibility given to a player and it only comes into effect once one goes out and completes his overs. He explained:
“When a captain comes out to bat, his main job is to score runs. You are selected in the team as a batter or pitcher; Captaincy is an additional responsibility assigned to him.
“While batting, if you are going to think that I am the captain, the ball or the bat does not know that you are the captain. You are a hitter when you have the bat in your hand and a pitcher when you have the ball. You become the captain when you leave or complete your relief.”
Gautam Gambhir himself was a successful leader for both India and Kolkata Knight Riders. He led from the front in IPL and guided his team to two titles in 2012 and 2014. He will join his franchise once again as he will be a mentor to the team.