The World Cup is not simply a cricket tournament. Rather, like all mega events on this scale, it is so much more. Most importantly, it is about leadership. And a leader need not be the captain all the time. In fact, there is a difference between a leader and a captain. While the captain can indeed be the leader, like Rohit Sharma, India also have Virat Kohli, who is every bit a leader though he is no longer the captain.
Kohli asking the crowd to stop booing Naveen-ul-Haq, for example, is the perfect leadership lesson. That’s sport. In doing so, he elevated himself from being just a player to a leader. In corporate life, there will be occasions when a colleague faces hostility. That’s when the leader needs to stand up. Needs to take control and defuse the situation. Embrace the person concerned and make him feel better. Virat made Naveen do the same, and in doing so, made a huge impact on the sport.
Rohit too has done the same for KL Rahul. Each time Rahul was trolled, and Rohit questioned why he was being given a long rope, Rohit stepped up for Rahul. The management knows what he is capable of and has always backed him full steam. And now Rahul has repaid the faith with that innings against Australia. That’s what leadership is all about. To stand by colleagues when the going is tough. When someone is performing, the entire workforce will stand by the person. But when the going gets tough, that’s when he or she needs support. Rahul too needed Rohit to be with him. Back him up. And that’s exactly what the Indian captain did. The fact that India have looked excellent in the two games is because there is strong leadership at the helm. Both Rohit and Virat know what this tournament means and have stepped up and taken control.
Pat Cummins, who is an excellent leader otherwise, hasn’t been able to do so thus far. Australia have a glut of riches and yet they have struggled. Cummins hasn’t been able to take the tough calls. Should he have played three seamers in Chennai? Wasn’t it more spin-friendly? Is Glenn Maxwell batting too low? Australia will need to get their act together very soon and Cummins will have to take some hard leadership calls. Yet again, the parallel with work life is strong. When things go well, leadership is easy. Things are on autopilot, and you don’t have to do much. But when things go south, a leader has to take control and protect his colleagues. Shield them from adversity and stand up for them. That’s when he becomes a real leader and does justice to the armband. Cummins needs to do that now.
When I watch an event of this magnitude, I always keep an eye on things that aren’t just being played out on the ground. What’s the body language like? How are the players engaging with fans? The message they give the fans and the media will define them as leaders of the domain. With India-Pakistan to be played in less than 24 hours, it will be a huge test of leadership. And that’s the best part of the sport.