3 captains who have led admirably in the 2023 World Cup so far
When it comes to the roles played by captains, cricket is a rather unique sport in that it places great emphasis on tactical inputs from those at the helm. Of course, that is reducing as a data-driven approach takes over, but skippers still have a bunch of decisions to make that greatly influence the game.
The World Cup, cricket's biggest competition, has seen a plethora of instances of the same. Over the last few editions, the likes of Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and MS Dhoni have written themselves into the history books by leading their respective countries to the coveted trophy.
In the 2023 World Cup as well, we've seen a few captains come up with displays that illustrate why they deserve to enter such a pantheon of greats. While some have helped their teams punch above their weight, others have stepped in on late notice to great effect.
Here are three captains who have led their teams admirably so far in the 2023 World Cup.
#3 Scott Edwards | The Netherlands
![Netherlands captain Scott Edwards [left] has rallied his troops well](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/10/579d0-16981335633034-1920.jpg?w=500)
The Netherlands might have won only one of their four games so far in the 2023 World Cup. However, the manner and magnitude of that victory was such that they sent shockwaves through the cricketing community.
The Dutchmen beat South Africa, who have won all their other games by convincing margins, by 38 runs. The biggest reason behind their famous win was the knock played by their skipper, Scott Edwards.
Edwards made a splendid unbeaten 78 off just 69 balls, an innings featuring 10 fours and a six. The keeper-batter came in with the score reading 82/5 and still managed to take the Netherlands to a competitive 245/8. His tactical nous and glovework have been on point as well.
The Netherlands have seen some players return after being tied up by county commitments, and other important names are going through rough periods of form. Despite all of that, Edwards has steered the ship quite well.
#2 Rohit Sharma | India
Rohit Sharma benefits from having world-class, in-form players in all departments. However, the Indian skipper has been a class apart both with his batting and his leadership in the 2023 World Cup.
Rohit's pyrotechnics in the powerplay have set the tone for the Indian batting innings and have also taken some of the load off the other big names in the lineup. His bowling changes and team selection have been on the mark, and the environment in the dressing room also seems to be an extremely productive one.
Rohit has led India to the top of the World Cup points table, and it appears as if they're the clear favorites to go all the way. Their skipper, who has led from the front in every sense of the word, has been simply special so far.
#1 Tom Latham | New Zealand
Tom Latham has flown under the radar, like New Zealand's players generally do. However, he's done an excellent job in Kane Williamson's absence, with the regular captain playing just one game in the World Cup amid an unlucky pair of injuries.
Latham has notched up two half-centuries, and his decisions on the field have been quite astute as well. The Kiwis won their first four matches in the competition, including a hammering of defending champions England, before falling to India.
Latham could've done better against the Men in Blue with his bowling changes. However, on the whole, he has managed to make a team struggling with injuries raise their game on the biggest stage. And most of all, he's done it on short notice.
It remains to be seen when Williamson returns, but until then, the Blackcaps have a capable replacement holding the reins.