The Indian Cricket Team Captain.

Captaincy is not all about victory. Captaincy is not all about technical skills. Captaincy is not all about information. Yes, you need all of those positive mix. But, more importantly, leadership and man management takes the front foot.

Dhoni has taken the right step in the captaincy mode. If success is the measure, then there is enough proof of his leadership skills; ICC Twenty20 World cup, Commonwealth Bank series victory in Australia and his three-out-of-three test match wins against South Africa and Australia. But, I am not going to discuss about that here. I am going to draw attention to simple gestures from Dhoni that would have touched many hearts including mine.

Apt Farewell to Sourav Ganguly
During the final moments of the Nagpur test against Australia, Dhoni invited Ganguly to take over the captaincy for some time. It was an extraordinary gesture from Mahendra Singh Dhoni. With Ganguly playing his final test match, how proud he would have felt. Can any one else give a better farewell to a wonderful player and a radical captain himself?

Suitable Reward for an Achiever
Another moment that happened just after India’s victory in the second test match against Australia. India has just completed a resounding win against the World Champions. It is a great moment of achievement for the team as they played absolutely attacking cricket throughout the match. Everybody rushed to grab a stump as a souvenir. Ganguly, a centurion in the first innings and playing his last test series, could not get one for himself. Dhoni gave Ganguly the stump he had taken for himself.

Recognize Budding Talents
One more significant moment came during the presentation ceremony of Commonwealth Bank Series 2008. India has just outplayed Australia in the finals and defeated them 2-0 in the best of three finals. Dhoni invited Piyush Chawla, the youngest in the Indian team, to hold the trophy when the team assembled on the podium to pose with the CB Series trophy. How proud Chawla would have been?

It is very hard to believe that Dhoni made his debut just less than four years ago. These moments might be forgotten down the years. But, Sourav Ganguly and Piyush Chawla will remember those precious little moments for ages. After all, captaincy is not all about you being in the limelight yourself. It seems Dhoni has understood that clearly. Well done Dhoni.