The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog comes, as the Rajasthan Royals, win the inaugural Indian Premier League title.
Cricket: The Rajasthan Royals - The Shane Warne Effect
So the Rajasthan Royals, led by Shane Warne, beat M.S. Dhoni's, Chennai Super Kings, in a tense and enthralling IPL Cup Final.
Somehow, it was fitting that Warne was at the crease, as the Royals secured victory off the last ball. For it has been his astute captaincy, that has constantly given his team the critical edge, throughout this competition.
Warne's captaincy appears to be an irresistible combination, of a shrewd understanding of the games ebb and flow and dynamics; an intimate knowledge of his opponents strengths and weaknesses; and the ability to infuse his own players with supreme belief and confidence.
You sense that under Warne's leadership, his players know that, whatever the pressure they are facing, they will find a way to win. Like all great competitors, Shane Warne doesn't fear losing.
It's this fearlessness, that creates those winning opportunities. It's a quality you see in the sporting greats. As if they have a personal contract with success. A developed mentality, that simply doesn't entertain doubt. In their presence, winning becomes a habit. And opponents know it, too.
Australia reigned supreme under the captaincy of Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. But you wonder, what levels of excellence they would have attained, had Shane Warne led his country.
