Former Indian World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir believes that captaincy pressure has no effect on a player’s ability to succeed with the bat and ball and that the captain’s primary responsibility is to impact the team through their performance.
There is a widespread belief that the burden of captaincy can be detrimental to an elite player’s form. It plays on the batsman and bowler’s mind, clogging his mind with peripheral issues of what’s going on on the field and eventually taking a toll on his performance for the team.
During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Gautam Gambhir made remarks about captaincy affecting their game in the team. He mentioned how MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Anil Kumble were able to contribute meaningfully as players while leading the national team.
“I don’t think being a captain affects a batter’s game. There have been many captains who have given great performances while being captains. It’s about the individual mindset. MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, and Anil Kumble have performed well. Similarly, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have done it too,” Gautam Gambhir said.
Cricket teams all over the world usually choose one of their best players to captain the squad. It is more difficult to focus on the essential task at hand when you are under the strain of leadership and responsibility. After being named captain, a player may occasionally fail to perform as well as he should.
The Ball Or The Bat Doesn’t Know That You Are The Captain – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir mentioned during the conversation that a player should not focus on captaincy while batting or bowling and stated that the idea of captaincy should arise only after the player has finished his work with the bat or ball.
“When a captain steps out to bat, his primary job is to score runs. You are selected in the team as a batter or a bowler; captaincy is an additional responsibility given to you. While batting, if you’re going to think that I am the captain, the ball or the bat doesn’t know that you are the captain. You are a batter when you have the bat in your hand and a bowler when you have the ball. You become the captain when you get out or complete your over,” Gautam Gambhir added.
Gautam Gambhir also showed his ability to lead while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League, where he led the team to two titles. He will return to the franchise as a mentor for the 2024 IPL season.
