A Captains ear!!!

I’ve been meaning to write this for ages, but procrastination is the true captain of my life. So here goes....

If you examine the job description for being a captain at the maidaan, it reads less like a sporting role and more like a matrimonial advertisement. Requirements:

• English eloquence (to sound wise while yelling at fielders),

• Family tree awareness (because sometimes your cousin’s cousin is the only available bowler),

• Philosophical depth (to explain why losing is actually winning in disguise),

• Emotional range (from Shakespearean tragedy to stand‑up comedy),

• Stone‑faced resilience (to look unmoved while your team collapses),

• And, most importantly, thick skin (because both teammates and opponents will happily roast you alive unless you have Chaitanya, Harsha, Sameer, Dhruv, Satya, or Arjun — in which case they nobly volunteer as human shields).

Over the years, we’ve had captains who wore the crown with dignity, and others who treated it like a cursed horcrux they never wanted to touch again. Having captained myself, I can confirm: joy is not part of the package. This is still a team sport, and the script rarely changes. So what’s the upside?

The upside, lies in the diversity of leadership styles. Some captains are enforcers, others are liberators. Some lead with iron fists, others with open palms. The maidaan is a paradoxical playground: it gives joy, but also heartbreak. And when losses pile up, captaincy becomes less about tactics and more about philosophy. Leadership is not tested in the overs you play, but in the pauses between them — the pep talks, the WhatsApp reminders, the subtle nudges during evening walks.

Take Apoorv. Poor fellow has been targeted by the Hurricanes, who treat him like the softest punching bag in the gym. His own team, the Jugs, hasn’t exactly rallied behind him either. Yet this is precisely where captaincy matters: not in perfect decisions, but in imperfect unity. Cohesion beats correctness.

So Apoorv, I leave you with this,

“Assume nothing. Make sure promises are kept. Push yourself, push others. Stretch the possible — preferably without tearing your tennis elbow.”