Orthodox Dravid proving to be an unorthodox captain

So far, Rahul Dravid is the only captain from the top four teams who has manipulated with his resources the most to forge a playing eleven in every single game. He seems to have gone by the ‘horses for courses’ dictum. The unorthodox approach of the Rajasthan Royals’ skipper reflects how much he believes in the not-so-much-recognized talent in the team and of course his instincts which make him play roulette in each game. He is proving to be the best captain in this IPL for the way he has effectively managed and marshalled his limited resources. Not to forget, he also kept his army disciplined. He is not just encouraging the young and talented, but is also on the way to building and maintaining a culture of true sportsmanship. Playing hard but fair, under Dravid’s stewardship, the team also knows that nothing is more important than self-belief, walking with one’s head held high. No wonder then, when RR has a man like Dravid at the helm, somebody who has never compromised on his integrity and ethics both on and off the field, that the team tops the Fair Play table.

What we saw in the recent Royals’ match was yet another script directed to perfection by Rahul Dravid, the success of which was hard to prognosticate, given the batting and bowling line-up that RCB had. And the way he shuffled the batting order, initially, raised a few eyebrows as well. Promoting colt Sanju Samson over in-form Shane Watson, when the team was 1 down for 21 in the third over, was a brave decision. Not letting down the confidence shown by his skipper in him, Samson, without any signs of nervousness, played an attacking knock of 63 in 41 balls. Not rushing into things, he bided his time and powered his innings with some good shot selection and tactful play, refusing to succumb to the wiles of the RCB bowlers.

The pitches in India, no matter the attempt put in to make them as green as possible, till now have provided space for the spinners to showcase their art effectively. The first home game that Rajasthan Royals played at Jaipur against Kolkata Knight Riders brought another shade of his daring self to the fore, as he chose to go spinner-less. Though that day the pitch was green, it was not like the green strips that one sees overseas. It was risky to not play at least one spinner. And yet he had the gumption to take the risk against the defending champions.

In the match against the Mumbai Indians, when everyone expected Dravid to take to the crease when it was one down, he pushed Dishant Yagnik to carry forward his previous match’s pacey innings to keep up the good strike rate that Watson and Rahane had built-up. After Yagnik’s wicket, it was Stuart Binny, who had played a couple of quick cameos earlier this IPL, at the crease. Finally, there was Brad Hodge to provide the final fillip to the run rate with Rahane who anchored the innings. And RR ended up posting a stiff total of 179 on the board. Dravid read the situation well. It was in the eighth over that Shane Watson was caught behind, almost the second half of the innings when there was a need of a batsman who could keep the run rate at least above eight. The situation demanded a hitter who could build up the innings around the well settled Rahane at a quick pace. Certainly, Rahul Dravid could not be the right person for the job, so he withheld himself and backed others to do the job for him. To hold himself back required self-sacrifice for team’s cause. And Rahul was up to it.

These instances are striking and have paid off for the Rajasthan Royals. Not that Dravid’s team has had no failures so far, but sport is all about taking risks and reading between the lines, which sometimes will leave you to rue over your instincts, but can fetch you success and admiration also. Not to forget, the one who dares is the one who wins!