Starstruck: How Rohit Sharma is a leader from 'one of us' — Vikram Sathaye

One of the key qualities of a leader according to me is whether his or her team relates to them or not.

I recall a particular Joesph Conradian phrase every time I think of this - how Jim became 'one of us' and accepted before he was proclaimed as Lord Jim. This literary parallel spills into sports as well whenever I have closely followed and interacted with Rohit Sharma.

Do the other cricketers on the team feel close to him, as they say, Is he 'one of the boys'?

I believe this is one of the main reasons for Rohit Sharma's success as a captain. Rohit Sharma is one of the boys for sure.

Every time I speak to team members and just mention Rohit's name you will see a smile on their faces, a smile which you would have for your best buddy - that's the relatable image he has created for himself, he is the team's go-to guy!

This is what helps Rohit marshall his resources well because the boys have complete trust.

Rohit is as transparent as it could get.

The players know there is nothing hidden about him, what you see is what you get.

In a high-performance environment, you want the leader to have a calming effect on his team which Rohit brings to the table with ease - when Rohit is at the helm, players automatically tend to perform better knowing their captain has their backs.

Coupled with native insight coming out of playing hundreds of matches in the maidans of Mumbai makes a lethal combination, doesn't it?

I once asked Rohit if he is instinctive as a captain.

He responded, "Instinct tabhi acha rehta hai jab deep analysis pehle ho chukka hain." (Instinct is only good when deep analysis has been done previously.)

Wise, strategic and ever-friendly - Rohit Sharma has redefined true 'leadership' by having become 'one of us'.