Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has made headlines again after making a controversial statement about Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. IPL teams, according to Gambhir, do not properly groom their vice-captains.
The southpaw chastised franchises for choosing vice-captains based on subservient philosophy rather than individual talent. The 39-year-old believes that IPL franchises haven't properly trained their no.2s (vice-captains) as they can pose a threat to the captaincy. As a result, captains feel safe about their jobs, and franchises find themselves in a corridor of uncertainty if they want to change the captain.
The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain believes it is done on purpose to protect the captain's position, but on the other hand, they are missing out on the opportunity to groom the deputy captain for their team.
“I am all for a good leader and his legacy but for me; the No. 2 in the ranks is a more important debate. I am not sure we give enough importance or relevance to the vice-captaincy in our cricket,” Gambhir wrote in Times of India.
“Unfortunately in our systems, a vice-captain is picked on the basis of how submissive he is. If he is deemed to be a threat to the captain’s position, he is not picked for the role. Some of the current teams in the IPL have missed the opportunity to groom their no.2s. To me that is a bigger hurdle than not winning an IPL trophy,” he added.
Furthermore, Gambhir praised former Indian Test captain Anil Kumble, who once served as a captain's deputy for a significant period of time, while emphasizing the vice-captain's role.
“In my time I had seen Anil Kumble being an exemplary vice-captain for India. He was always selfless, a giver, and yet fiercely competitive. He was always ready to carry forward the team culture created by the leadership group of his time. It is a pity that vice-captain Kumble could not lead India for long,” said Gambhir.
In hindsight, a franchise like Royals Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is a prime example of what Gambhir has mentioned. They surely missed a trick as Virat Kohli has already announced his plans on further T20 captaincy of RCB and the franchise has to explore for alternative choices from next season onwards.
