KL Rahul, the current captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has opened up about his journey as a leader and the lessons he has learned along the way.
After captaining the Punjab Kings for two seasons without success, Rahul joined LSG and has led them to the playoffs in both seasons. He attributes his current success to trusting his instincts and building strong relationships with his team.
“Building a team is about players you pick, key positions you can’t afford to miss in the auction,” Rahul said. “First few years of me captaining, I am not shy to admit, I made a few mistakes as well.”
Rahul credits his current success to trusting his instincts, something he said he didn’t do enough in his initial days as a leader. He feels he has struck the right balance between backing his gut and listening to the advice of the team management.
“There is so much information coming as you captain. Which one to take and which one to not and see you have a gut feel which is against what the coaches are saying,” he said. “Initially, it was hard to go against that as culturally we are taught to respect the elders. Somehow things did not go according to plan and I was not being able to sleep. I have realised you need to build the trust and bond not only with the players but also with the coaches. We both want the same thing.”
Rahul also spoke about the leadership styles of current India skipper Rohit Sharma and predecessor Virat Kohli.
“Rohit brought sense of calmness in the dressing room. The passion remains the same. It also helps that people have understood their roles and have had enough time to adjust to those roles,” Rahul said. “Virat had already set the benchmark on how to be on the field and Rohit carried on with a bit of calmness.”
Rahul also labelled MS Dhoni and Kane Williamson as the true gentlemen of the game.
