All captains except Sachin under pressure

MUMBAI: As the third edition of the IPL enters the second half, an introspection of captains’ makes an interesting reading. Out of the eight captains, Sachin Tendulkar of Mumbai Indians has a 90 per cent success record with only one loss (against Royal Challengers) from seven matches while other captains have been under some sort of pressure to perform.

The 36-year-old Tendulkar is leading by example. His batting has been exemplary. He is the second highest run-getter with 314 runs. He is calm and has kept things under control. Some young players think it is a golden chance to play under the little master. Even cricketers like Kieron Pollard of West Indies have respected the way he has handled the team. “As a captain he does a lot of little things which you really can’t explain. I’m really cherishing this opportunity,” said Pollard on Tendulkar’s captaincy.

There is more determination in Tendulkar’s methods this season.

TA Sekar, the Mumbai Indians team director, too, thinks highly of Tendulkar’s role as a captain. “After 20 years of international cricket Sachin knows better than anyone exactly what to do and what not to do in crunch situations.” But for other captains like Anil Kumble (Royal Challengers), MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings), Gautam Gambhir (Delhi Daredeveils), Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata Knight Riders) Shane Warne (Rajasthan Royals), Adam Gilchrist (Deccan Chargers) and Kumar Sangakkara, it has varied from mixed fortunes to desperation.

Kumble and Dhoni have been hard taskmasters. Their leadership will be tested in the next few days. Ganguly and Warne are known for their aggressive captaincy. Ganguly faces a stern test as KKR are wobbling at the half-way stage. Warne has always been an inspirational captain as evident from Rajasthan Royals rise from the bottom of the table. Young Gambhir, in his first year as captain, is learning the tricks with two good shows.

Gilchrist, winning captain of the last year’s IPL, seems to be struggling. But Sangakkara, the Lankan captain, seems to be worst affected this time. The fissure in the Kings XI team has not been the right recipe for success.

Yuvraj Singh has reportedly failed to come to terms ever since Sangakkara was given the captaincy. It is no surprise that the team is languishing at the bottom of the table with only a win from seven matches.