Captain Ashwin makes instant impact

Man of action: R. Ashwin has earned the reputation of one of the shrewdest captains in this edition.

Man of action: R. Ashwin has earned the reputation of one of the shrewdest captains in this edition.   | Photo Credit: AKHILESH KUMAR

The lone bowling captain of IPL has taken KXIP closer to playoffs

You expect the unexpected at the IPL.

Yet, most people would have been surprised to see R. Ashwin walking out to the middle at the fall of the first wicket, as early as the third over, at Jaipur on Tuesday night.

He lasted only two balls and Kings XI Punjab went on to lose to Rajasthan Royals.

But it was one of the very few occasions at the IPL when the captain cool from Chennai could not get it right. His captaincy has, in fact, been one of the talking points of the season.

He has turned KXIP into a formidable, balanced unit that has moved to the third spot in the table, even as earning a reputation for himself as one of the shrewdest captains at this IPL.

Not since Shane Warne of Rajasthan Royals has a bowler impressed as much as an IPL skipper. And Ashwin is just 10 matches into the job.

History would tell us that many more batsmen than bowlers have led teams. Warne never captained Australia in a Test, but of the 11 ODI matches he led the men in yellow, they won 10.

Anil Kumble, by his own admission, got the top job in Indian sport when nobody else wanted it and that too, 17 years after making his international debut.

“I am not at all surprised with Ashwin’s success as a captain,” former India opener V.B. Chandrasekhar, who is doing television commentary in Tamil at this IPL, told The Hindu.

“I had even thought that he could lead the country some two or three years ago. What he has done at this IPL in his first year as captain is remarkable.”

He seems to be a natural for the job. Look at the way he has nurtured Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the mystery spinner from Afghanistan.

He has used the 17-year-old, with success, both as a defensive bowler — like against Delhi Daredevils, which needed 17 off the last over — and an attacking one, as in the match here against Rajasthan Royals last weekend.

He is one of those captains who make things happen. “Yes, he is very proactive, maybe sometime too much so,” said Chandrasekhar.

“He commands a lot of respect as a cricketer. Another good thing I like him about his captaincy is that he does not allow emotions to influence his decisions, like the one to drop Yuvraj Singh.”