The 36-year-old Dhawan is all set to lead Team India in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe. Being in his late thirties, Dhawan can be that father figure to many youngsters like Shubman Gill or Prasidh Krishna who are just making their way into international cricket.
Although this remains a T20 World Cup year, the elegant southpaw will have his task cut out as India will also have three more ODIs against South Africa even as the first team will be busy preparing in Australia for the T20 World Cup 2022.
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Captaincy is not new to Dhawan. He was entrusted with the job for the first time when India toured Sri Lanka in 2021 and delivered results with a series win.
Later, he also oversaw a loss in the T20I series against the same opposition as the team was hit hard with Covid-19. Dhawan-led team management was struggling to put up a playing eleven.
So, what did Dhawan learnt during that period? Did anything came in handy which he now inculcates in his leadership style. The Southpaw’s reply was very interesting.
Just like any other leadership schools, Dhawan too ‘empowers’ the players to make their own decisions before stepping in with his suggestions.
“As a leader, my first instinct is to go with a bowler’s plan. I ask them what’s the plan and what exactly would they want in the fielding set-up. At the highest level, everyone is a hardcore professional, who are there because they know their job well," he told PTI in an exclusive.
“But yes, if their plan doesn’t work, obviously there needs to be a Plan ‘B’ and me coming into the picture."
“If a bowler is hit for a few boundaries, he is bound to be under pressure and that’s the time the captain needs to put an arm around his shoulder."
“But then also politely nudge him that ‘listen your plan isn’t working, so why don’t you try my plan for a change?'"
Dhawan led his troops effectively against West Indies, especially in the first ODI where India defended 15 off the final over with Mohammed Siraj bowling the last six balls. The skipper kept his calm and let Siraj do his thing, eventually it proved to be quite effective.
“As a leader, when you start interacting with players, after a passage of time, you get a fair idea of how they react to situations. No two players are same and the way you handle each of them will also be different — with some you need to be a slightly lenient, with some you need to be a bit more pushy. That’s the beauty of a leader. You have to give them love and extract the best out of them."
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