Yuvraj Singh vs. Sourav Ganguly - who's the better captain for Pune Warriors

Yuvraj Singh reigns over the pitch when he’s up to bat and even runs out wickets with stunning smoothness. His aggression and his fire were probably the reason he was picked as the captain when Pune Warriors India made their debut in the IPL 2011. But PWI failed to impress and Yuvraj’s captaincy was questioned. Then came 2012 and Sourav Ganguly. A previously proven captain, Ganguly might not be a great player but is considered a solid mentor and good strategist. When the obvious comparison arose, I asked a few people if they thought that Yuvraj Singh was a good captain for PWI in 2011, would Sourav Ganguly be better and what changes, if any, would the team show under their leadership. What followed was a surprising consensus of opinion that varied only in degree of feeling.

Yuvraj Singh’s reign:

While some said that Yuvraj was “egoistic, arrogant and dominating” and “cared only about the tag of Captain instead of being a Captain”, others went a little easier on him and said that he “played more for himself than the team”. He has drive yes, but that might have been the very reason he was unable to perform as a captain. After all, the combination of good individual innings doesn’t make for a winning strategy. And his intention of playing well himself to lead by example was an indicator of a missing leadership skill. A captain needs a cool head, even under the worst of conditions and here, his fiery nature proved more harmful than good. Although incredibly talented, he was missing that “born leader” capability (through no fault of his own – he’s just not a born leader); in the end, he was just not able to drive the “we’re a team” ideology into his players. And no team bonding meant that the players couldn’t capitalise on the near telepathic and instinctual nuances of each other like all teams tend to do.

Sourav Ganguy’s reign:

In spite of a career wrought with controversies, Ganguly has been one of the most loved cricketers of India. And where some people say that he is often over credited individually for the effort displayed by a team, others are of the opinion that his leadership is what makes them a good team. He is “not a good player himself”, as quoted by some, but he has been the captain who changed the face of India’s team and gained the reputation of being a good strategist. His experience gives him the advantage of knowing what he’s up against and his bent of mind is suited to the game well enough to form a plan to meet what he’s up against. He adheres to the responsibility of being a captain and while he loves his accolades and attention just as much as anyone else, he works toward it being well deserved. As opined by one of my interviewees, “he wants to be known as the captain of a winning and worthy team, not just the tag of Captain”. Added to all that is his innate capability to be a good leader – he knows how to keep a cool head, he knows how to be a motivator and mentor, he knows how to recognise and marshal skill, he knows how to point out and attack his opposition’s strengths and weaknesses and he knows how to drive the “team” ideology and bring out the best in his players.

The Team under their reigns:

It might be too quick a conclusion to jump to, but PWI’s last performance indicated that the team was finally a team – attuned to each other, playing on each other’s strengths, working around their weaknesses and utilising their talents when most required. This, as many agree, was missing in the last season. The difference was clear.

Yuvraj Singh previously captained Kings XI Punjab and Sourav Ganguly captained Kolkata Knight Riders. While Yuvraj’s dethroning was not met with much objection, Ganguly’s dismissal was questioned quite vehemently. When Yuvraj failed to do a good job while captaining PWI, everyone agreed that there was a reason he was dropped as captain from KXIP. But that just makes expectations from Ganguly much higher. Not many people expect him to shine as an individual player, but they expect him to cover for all his on-field limitations with his strategies as a captain. They expect him to hone his players’ skills, turning each good player into a great player and the underdogs into a team that compels respect.

But people, like time, have been known to change. While Yuvraj, on his eventual return, may learn to be a good captain, Ganguly’s strategies may backfire. What remains now to be seen is whether Ganguly can, as is expected from him, change the face of the team that he now captains and give the Pune Warriors India a reason to stand tall.

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