O Captain! My Captain! Wadkar's On-Field Acumen Guides Vidarbha To Glory

Nagpur: Let's get it out of the way — Akshay Wadkar is not your typical flamboyant cricketer. Off the field, he could easily be mistaken for a meticulous engineer, serious, focused, almost scholarly. A humble 4,700 Instagram followers and minimal posts underscore his understated personality. But on the cricket field, Wadkar is a different entity: disciplined, calculating, and possessed of a grit that demands attention.

Fondly called "Maalik" by his young teammates, Wadkar has settled into the captaincy with natural ease, steering a young Vidarbha side with instinct and intellect.

His approach is methodical, yet clever. When Saransh Jain came to the crease in the first innings, a single yorker — pitched on Wadkar's instruction to Yash Thakur — brought the desired result.

When Ruturaj Gaikwad looked threatening, Wadkar rolled out a tactical plan, placing a fielder at deep point and guiding Thakur to bowl a short, slightly wide delivery. Gaikwad fell for it, another testament to Wadkar's on-field acumen .

Wadkar's keen eye behind the stumps also aids in crucial DRS calls — like Ishan Kishan's lbw against Harsh Dubey or Manav Suthar's dismissal — often turning tight games in Vidarbha's favour. "Being a wicketkeeper helps. You sense where the ball is pitching, how much it's turning. Some calls come instinctively," he said.

After lifting the Irani Cup , the skipper was quick to praise his bowling unit. "Even if we have to defend 120, I can count on my bowlers to win it. My bowling unit is the best in the domestic circuit," he said.

When Wadkar took the reins midway through the 2022-23 season, Vidarbha were in transition. Veterans like Faiz Fazal, Akshay Wakhare, Umesh Yadav, and Ganesh Satish were nearing the twilight of their careers. The team needed direction, and Wadkar provided it.

His very first game as captain — a come-from-behind triumph over Gujarat at Jamtha — was a glimpse of the attitude he would instill. Despite being bowled out for 74, Vidarbha defended a tiny target of 72, dismissing Gujarat for 54, signaling a shift in mindset: fearless, calculated, relentless.

Since then, Wadkar has guided the side to a Ranji Trophy and now their third Irani Cup, blending youthful exuberance with strategic nous. Under his captaincy, Vidarbha have become a side that thrives under pressure.