He must be strong on matters of strategy and tactics and must have a good knowledge of the cerebral aspects of the game. Somehow such an image does not go with swashbuckling or buccaneering players. Their business is to entertain and provide the razzle-dazzle leaving the thinking caps to the other more sober members of the team. That is why it would appear that Dhoni should be the last to captain the national team.

But here he is at the helm and making a major success of it on the field. And off the field he is the country's latest pin up boy even surpassing Sachin Tendulkar when it comes to endorsements. Talk about being on a roll. The success of Dhoni has proved that there can be no pre-conceived notions about what a captain should be, of what qualities he should or should not possess.