5 Qualities which make Rohit Sharma the best IPL skipper

Rohit Sharma might well retire as the most successful captain, in terms of matches and trophies, in the Indian Premier League. At 34, he has already won five titles for Mumbai Indians and of those have come since 2013. Two of them in successive seasons. And if Mumbai’s performance in the first leg of the IPL 2021 had anything to say, it seems a third in a row is a good possibility. 

At the back of this highly successful team, which is probably the most successful team in the history of T20 cricket, there is a brilliant captain. But, what makes Rohit an excellent captain? Why has he been able to build a team as strong as Mumbai Indians, despite a title drought in the franchise’s first few years? Here are the-

Five qualities which make Rohit Sharma the best captain in IPL

1. Backs young players and players going through a rough patch

One of the most important qualities of any good captain has to be an ability to eye talent and back them. It is crucial for a captain to be able to understand his game along with 10 other men with him on the field. Think about the captains in the past who have been successful and you will see there are endless stories of them backing players when they are down and out. 

During his stint as a captain at Mumbai Indians, Rohit has backed players when they have been struggling, only to find success with them in the future. For instance, Hardik Pandya had an average of 6 with the bat in the 2016 season. Rohit stuck by his side and with time, Pandya has improved his batting immensely to deliver for Mumbai in crunch situations. Think about Pollard, who seemed almost done just a few years ago. His numbers had dried up but Rohit and the team backed him and his form in the last two seasons has been impeccable. Lasith Malinga had a poor run but Rohit kept him around for his experience. Bumrah has taken time to mature as a bowler. 

Then there’s Rahul Chahar who has openly admitted that Rohit has often backed young players such as him despite their form being up and down. All of that understanding of a player’s form may come for Rohit from his own journey. No one knows what it is to have it in you but yet not convert it into performances. To have someone like that as a captain, who himself has seen all the ups and downs, is a blessing for a team. 

2. Instilling belief in the team even if the going gets tough

Rohit Sharma may well retire as one of the finest cricketers and captains the IPL has seen. He will definitely be known as the leader of a dominant force, i.e, Mumbai Indians. However, this wasn’t the case when Rohit took over as the captain. As dramatic as it may sound, Mumbai before the 2013 season was good but not enough. 

It all changed in the one season in 2013 when Mumbai started fine but went on to turn around their fortune to script their maiden title win. Ricky Ponting, the former Australian legendary captain, was failing with the bat and felt it was important for him to drop himself. In the middle of the season, Rohit was summoned in as captain and from close to nowhere, Mumbai went on to win the title. That year they also won the now-defunct Champions League. And rest, as they say, is history.

In the subsequent seasons, Mumbai had iffy starts. Like in 2014, they lost their first five matches but still managed to make it to the playoffs after one of the most dramatic matches in the IPL history (the ‘run chase of 190 in 14.4 overs’ match against Rajasthan). In 2015, the story was the same, Mumbai became champions after a slow start. Basically, when the going gets tough, you need a captain like Rohit to help the team believe in themselves. 

3. Has batted in different positions and adapted according to the team’s need

Rohit started opening permanently for India only in 2013. Now everyone remembers that, but despite being successful with the Indian T20I side as an opener, Rohit often used to slide down the order to make Mumbai’s middle-order look strong. Yes, as unbelievable as it may sound, there was a period after Rohit took over that Mumbai had a bit of fragile middle-order. 

Back then, Hardik Pandya was inexperienced, Krunal Pandya was new and Kieron Pollard, as inconsistent as he had ever been. Mumbai did find some quality top-order players in Lendl Simmons, Parthiv Patel, Evin Lewis among others. This meant Rohit, who was probably best utilized in the top order, had to bat at no. 4 to give stability to the middle order. 

With time, Mumbai got a few players who batted well in the middle order, like Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan. It helped in the way that Hardik, Krunal, and Pollard got better with time as Rohit managed to go back to his preferred opening position. Now, if you own a team and want a captain, you would definitely want a captain to be versatile and adapt according to the team’s needs. Rohit did exactly that and it is important we acknowledge it. 

4. Tactically Brilliant 

Captaincy in cricket is a difficult job and it is being acknowledged across the globe. But, come to think about it, leading a T20 team is much more difficult. Because it is a fast-paced game, the amount of decisions that a captain has to make per minute is quite higher than maybe a Test match. 

This doesn’t mean Test match captaincy is easy, it is mighty difficult as well, but just because of the pace of a T20 match, the dynamics of leading a T20 side are much different. It requires a person to be on the edge at every minute. There has to be a fielding change probably every ball, there is the over rate, and in a T20 match, one over can change the momentum. Given all these factors, a successful captain in T20 cricket has to be tactically brilliant. 

Now that all of us are a bit more educated about the tactical pressure on a captain in T20 cricket, it is time to state that Rohit over the years has shown what a brilliant cricketing mind he is. It is only obvious that five IPL titles don’t come without a tactical captain at play. Rohit’s style of captaincy is quite aggressive and has suited the fast-paced nature of the IPL. When he is done with captaincy, we hope that this one aspect of him is talked about, his mind. 

5. A cool and calm composure

There are two types of captains obviously, one, who are expressive and their face will exactly describe the situation of the match. Then there are those who won’t even give an inch with their expressions. Well, Rohit is just about in the middle. In tense situations, you will see him just casually strolling around his bowlers while dismissals will bring a huge cheer from him. 

IPL is a fast-paced league and the pressure on the players is huge. The stakes are quite high. Players, captains, fans, coaches, and commentators are always on their toes. And then, you look at Rohit and you feel he is inside his own bubble, which radiates calmness and positivity. In high-pressure situations, the team looks at their leader to get a sense of calmness, Rohit gives his players exactly that. 

If you look at the two ends of the gold standard of an Indian captain’s on-field behavior, one will find Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni on the opposite ends. Rohit fits in the middle. He has the calmness and composure of Dhoni while his eyes depict the same fire as Kohli. The way Rohit is seen talking to a player after a bad over, with an arm on his shoulder, tells you what a player longs for in his captain. Rohit is just about right.