Throughout his cricketing career Suresh Raina has been his captain’s man. He happily walks in to bat at any position he is asked to, even if it means lesser opportunities to get big scores. In the field, he is a livewire and a motivator, always moving, diving around and ever ready to offer a pat on the back or an encouraging clap to whoever deserves or needs it. His handy off-spinners have bailed many a captain out of a sticky situation.

However, in VIVO IPL 2016, Raina is no more manning his usual station. He has been given his own ship to command – the Gujarat Lions. He has the conn. Raina is not a complete novice when it comes to captaincy. He has led his state, Uttar Pradesh, regularly and has even captained India in a handful of ODIs and T20Is. But this is the first time that he is in charge of a team that he has helped build from scratch.

And his display of leadership so far has impressed many, as he has led the Lions to four wins in their first five matches this season.

After their six-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Rajkot, Raina caught up with IPLT20.com to talk about this new cricketing chapter in his life. He spoke about all the captains who have had an impact on him and how he is trying to take the best from them to become a good leader himself. Raina also lauded the Lions’ coaching staff of Brad Hodge and Heath Streak for their valuable guidance in his endeavour to convert a bunch of talented cricketers into a team.

It is difficult for a newly formed team to start winning from the word go. What do you credit Gujarat Lions’ fantastic IPL debut to?

We prepared really well before the auction. We picked well at the auction and got a bunch of players we wanted. We have won four of our five matches so far and for that the credit goes to the coaching staff of Hodgy (Brad Hodge), Heath Streak, Sitanshu Kotak and all the members of the support staff. When the franchise is new, it also helps if the owners help the team with good facilities, and we have got that. The quality of net bowlers we get and all the other facilities that a team needs to succeed, we have been provided with that. Also, all the players coming from the two suspended teams knew that they will either play for Pune or Rajkot. That preparedness helped us from the beginning. Yes, we have got off to a good start but this is a long tournament and we have to maintain this.

As the captain of an IPL team it is very important to build a rapport with the players, and very quickly. How did you manage that?

I have played with most of these guys before – Baz (Brendon McCullum), Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Jadeja and many young domestic Indian players. I have played many matches at various levels with DK (Dinesh Karthik), PK (Prveen Kumar), Dhawal Kulkarni, etc. So, I know them as individuals, their likes and dislikes, and that made this part easier for me. I have also had many discussions with Hodgy and Heath Streak on this and they have been very helpful. Hodgy has played in the Indian conditions and in the IPL for years now and his experiences has been valuable. Heath, it is for all to see what value he added to the Zimbabwe team and then Bangladesh as their coach. Look how strong a team Bangladesh have become now. In a small setup when you have such hard working people, it helps.

Captaining a team at this level is not only about leading on the field but also man management off it. That must be an interesting aspect of leading an IPL franchise, with so many personalities from all over the world playing under you?

I have played alongside many players in the IPL who have captained their countries. I have learnt a lot from the likes of Baz, Bravo, Fleming and MS Dhoni. I have spent a lot of time with MS over the last 10-15 years and I have seen how he goes about his job as a captain before and during a game. I keep talking to him and asking him questions in the field, standing at slip or point as to what he is thinking and why he made a particular move. He is so calm under pressure and he is one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world. At a very young age I played with Rahul (Dravid) bhai and Mohammad Kaif (his captain in the Uttar Pradesh team) and I gathered a lot from these men. Now that I have this opportunity to lead my own team, I am just trying to put together all that I learned from my various captains and do a good job of being one myself.

Also, I think I have improved a lot as a person after my marriage. I have become very calm and responsible. Next month I am also going to be a father. There comes a fresh breath of air in your life that teaches you many valuable lessons. My wife has been amazingly supportive through this new journey. She encourages me to spend more time with my team mates even if that means I don’t have enough time left for her. Her support and understanding has given me more opportunities to form a bond with this new team, understand my players and gel them together.

As a player you have always been a team man. In the field you keep the spirits high and always have a word of encouragement for the bowlers and other fielders. Is that a culture you have tried to inculcate in the Gujarat Lions camp?

Yes, it is very important. It keeps you on your toes as a player, creates that energy in the field and you always do better if you enjoy what you are doing as a team. It makes things easier for the captain when everyone is backing each other. I have learnt many things during my time with CSK; you have to be respectful of your opponent when you win and at the same time you need to keep setting your bar higher. I am just trying to practice all that with my team.