"Teams don't need to have a family atmosphere for them to be successful" - Aakash Chopra on R Ashwin's recent statement about the Indian team
Aakash Chopra believes a congenial atmosphere is not mandatory for a team to be successful.
R Ashwin recently said that the current Indian team members are like colleagues and not friends, with Prithvi Shaw also voicing a similar opinion thereafter. Citing the example of the Australian side of the 1990s and early 2000s, AB de Villiers recently stated that players don't need to get along well for the team to be dominant.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra concurred with De Villiers' views, elaborating:
"He said the absolutely correct thing as the successful Australian team, they didn't really like each other as much, which is okay, but they were unstoppable as soon as they entered the ground. This happens in not one but a lot of teams. Teams don't need to have a family atmosphere for them to be successful."
Recalling his time with the Delhi Ranji team, the former Indian opener pointed out that the atmosphere was not too dissimilar from the Australian side, observing:
"I played for many years for Delhi. My extremely close friends were also part of that dressing room but the overriding feeling was that you are on your own - do your own job and everyone was trying to move forward. It was an atmosphere of cut-throat competition where you want everyone to score runs but yourself to score the most."
Chopra highlighted that players were not trying to shorten others' careers but to lengthen theirs. He added that healthy competition is a must for any good team.
"This was the happiest environment among all the dressing rooms I have been a part of" - Aakash Chopra on the Rajasthan Ranji side
On the flip side, Aakash Chopra highlighted that the Rajasthan Ranji Trophy-winning team had a contrasting dressing room atmosphere, explaining:
"I saw the opposite thing in Rajasthan when I was a part of them for two-three years. There I saw everyone was happier when the guy next to them was happy. This was the happiest environment among all the dressing rooms I have been a part of."
The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that success can be achieved in both scenarios, stating:
"What is the difference? Both were extremely successful dressing rooms. Delhi was probably slightly less successful because we won only one Ranji Trophy and Rajasthan won two successive years. You are either a part of an extremely successful dressing room or a dressing room that has a lot of successful people."
Citing Yuzvendra Chahal's disclosure that there wasn't any discussion with him regarding his retention, Chopra opined that the Royal Challengers Bangalore could be that team where you have a few alpha males. On the other hand, he added that the Chennai Super Kings' success mantra seems to be playing together as a unit despite having a star like MS Dhoni in their midst.