The plausibility of Rahul’s crowning liturgy is a case of IPL rationale attacking Indian cricket.
Because marketability is now the most important factor, a lack of captaincy experience or nous is no longer an issue.
Richie Benaud famously said, “Captaincy is 90 percent luck and 10 percent skill.”
“However, don’t try it if you don’t have the ten percent.”
Regrettably, what was once evident truth has been proven false over time.
A rewrite is required due to the increasing corporatization; of cricket and the overwhelming impact of franchise-based T20 leagues on the game’s environment.
Captaincy is now “90% marketability; 10% luck… and you can try it even if you don’t have 10% of the talent.”
The Indian Premier League is once again the forerunner of a significant development in cricket that may have been avoided.
This IPL tendency has spread throughout the country, both organically and frighteningly, and has even infiltrated the national squad.
Following Virat Kohli’s unexpected resignation, KL Rahul is now considered an all-rounder. If the 29-year-old is selected Test skipper for next month’s series against Sri Lanka; a lack of options will be a problem. Before that, India will begin a full international series against South Africa; consisting of three one-day internationals, under the leadership of an untested skipper. Rahul had only led in one first-class game before boarding the jet for the current tour.
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For the second time in his life; Rahul was in charge of men in cricketing whites during the second Test in Johannesburg. With Kohli claiming a sore back on match day, India’s captaincy was handed over to the newly promoted vice-captain. It would be unjust to hold the teenage stand-in responsible for the defeat; but there were comments about India’s lack of enthusiasm; and ideas when South Africa skipper Dean Elgar shielded him from the Indian bowlers.
Rahul is a high-quality product of India’s cricket system; which has praised and acknowledged his batting abilities but has yet to perceive him as a leader. He was a regular for the Karnataka team; as well as an U19 India World Champion and an India World Champion. He’s a seasoned pro; yet no selector or coach under whom he’s ever played saw shadows of Mike Brearley in him. If they had, Rahul would have been captain on a more regular basis.
Finally, he found a home with the perennially struggling Punjab Kings; an IPL team that has had 10 captains and nine coaches in 14 seasons. It wasn’t surprising in the least. While looking for captains, franchise teams aren’t famous to sit with The Art of Captaincy book. The process of selecting a new captain is frequently referring to by team owners; as a search for the face of the team. It’s a polite way of saying that in T20 cricket, the brain-bank might as well be in the dugout. It’s always possible to employ a bench full of former captains; and relieve the captain of his responsibilities by outsourcing tactics and team composition.
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When it comes to big-ticket purchases, marketability is a key consideration for IPL teams.
As a result, the Punjab Kings’ decision-makers would not have been concerned about Rahul’s previous captaincy record.
He was a regular for Team India, an all-format batsman; with a pan-India fan base and a commanding social media presence.
To be an IPL captain, he checked all the essential boxes plus a few more.
He also worked in the Bollywood industry.
Rahul was a “young icon,” as the marketing execs like to put it.