The favoured chief

[1]

With temperatures soaring and deadlines drawing closer — the IPL matches are now going to be more engaging than ever. Taking centrestage, this season are the captains. From Harbhajan Singh, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Kumar Sangakkara, Daniel Vettori, Mahendra Singh Dhoni to Goutam Gambhir — these ‘hot’ seven cricketers have proved their potential as captains, in the process, garnering a huge fan following across the country.

When we asked city celebs to pick their favourites, the homeboy took the cake. Amongst all captains, Bengaluru huduga Rahul Dravid is favoured by most cricket fans. “I’ve been in love with Rahul Dravid since 1991. I’m even watching the IPL only because of him. There is no doubt that he is my all-time favourite cricketer,” says RJ Pallavi Ramesh, who has been supporting the Rajasthan Royals team. “Rahul is always playing it cool, never aggressive and he is a fair man. Even if someone doesn’t perform, you’ll find Rahul reassuring the team member, than holding him responsible. Apart from Rahul, I also like Sourav Ganguly. We’ll always have a soft spot for him,” she adds.

Talking about the home team, the always peaceful and yet determined, David Vettori is a hot favourite too. He might have an enormous female following, but the guys too stand by his captaincy. “Vettori knows how to take charge. He is like a one-man hero. Even while playing for his home team, New Zealand, Vettori has been a guy one can bank on. He is cool-headed and knows how to set an example. He doesn’t let a loss get to him, he takes one game at a time, that’s just great,” explains Karan Karthik, the founder of Live Gig.

Last year’s winners, Chennai Super Kings may not have been doing too well this season, but the captain can take credit for still having a huge fan base in the city. “Dhoni is a proof that a good captain can win matches. He has great control, and being a wicket keeper and playing captain is not an easy task. But Dhoni can prove you wrong. He is constantly interacting with his teammates and keeps them on their feet. He is my favourite,” says model, Aroon Pemmaiah.

Making an exception, actress Risheeka Singh, who is a Dhoni fan, begs to differ. “Why can’t Chris Gayle be the captain? He is a fantastic player. He comes in and saves the match with his stunning sixes. He is complete package. I’m a huge fan and would love to see him captain RCB next year.”