New managers
You have earned the role. Now you need a clear way to guide people without losing your footing.
A practical handbook for modern leaders
Lead like a captain.
Not just a star player.
A concise leadership book for first-time managers making the individual contributor to manager transition—through practical leadership lessons from cricket.
Paperback · 27 short chapters · ISBN 978-93-74062-78-4
inspired by cricket
Why this book exists
A practical guide for the first-time manager.
What made you a standout individual performer will not, by itself, make a team thrive. Leadership asks for a different game: setting direction, reading people, absorbing pressure and making decisions for the whole side.
Lead Like a Captain turns those shifts into short, direct conversations—each grounded in cricket and closed with an action you can take.
Who it is for
For people ready to lead beyond their own score.
Fresh graduates
You want practical leadership instincts before workplace habits set in.
High performers
You know how to deliver. The next task is helping an entire team do the same.
Cricket-minded leaders
You already understand pressure, match-ups and momentum—and want to apply that thinking at work.
The five-part playbook
Leadership, one deliberate innings at a time.
Becoming a leader
Make the shift from dependable individual contributor to accountable team captain.
Managing yourself
Lead with composure, curiosity and the stamina to make sound decisions under pressure.
Managing people
Set clear goals, listen well, recognize progress and build a side that plays together.
Managing work
Plan the innings, reduce unproductive meetings and turn decisions into momentum.
Strategy & growth
Make bolder calls, place people thoughtfully and prepare the next generation of leaders.
From the pitch to the workplace
Cricket makes pressure visible.
Field placements, changing conditions, partnerships, last-over decisions—the sport gives us a vivid language for leadership. The book uses that language to make workplace choices easier to see, remember and act on.
How the book works →Selected chapters
Short reads. Clear next moves.
Even Sachin Had a Coach
Why becoming responsible for others makes feedback and perspective more—not less—important.
Different Players, One Unified Goal
How to create alignment without expecting every person to contribute in the same way.
Every Match Starts with a Plan
Turn intentions into a simple plan your team can understand, challenge and execute.
★★★★★“Honestly, I didn’t expect this book to be this good. It looks very simple at first, but once you start reading, you realise how powerful the insights are. Each situation in the book feels like a real life le…”
★★★★★“Some books teach leadership. Lead Like a Captain by Sanjay Samuel reminds you what real leadership actually looks like. Practical, relatable, and easy to connect with, the book beautifully highlights account…”
★★★★★“A really engaging and meaningful book on leadership, especially for new managers. The cricket captain analogy is used very well to explain real work situations and decisions under pressure. The ‘captain move…”
Choose your route
Put the playbook in your hands.
Order through a marketplace, or message Sanjay for a direct or bulk enquiry.