New Delhi: Former India captain Kapil Dev has urged team India management to take tough decisions and the team can’t be relied on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to win the World Cup.
“Aap Virat pe, Rohit pe ya 2-3 players pe bhadosa karenge ki wo hume World Cup jeetayenge toh aisa kabhi bhi nahi ho sakta (If you think Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and 2-3 players will win us the World Cup then that’s never going to happen). You should believe in your team. Do we have such a team? Definitely. Do we have certain match winners? Yes, of course! We have players who can win the World Cup,” Kapil Dev said in a show on ABP news.
“If you want to win the World Cup, the coach, selectors, and team management will have to make some tough decisions. Personal interests will have to take a backseat and they will need to think about the team,” he said.
Kapil said this will be Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s last ODI World Cup.
“The biggest positive is that the World Cup will happen in India. Nobody knows the conditions better than we do. For the last 8-10 years, Rohit and Virat have been two of the most important cricketers for India.
Many have started to ask the question if this will be Virat and Rohit’s last World Cup. I believe they can play but they will need to work really hard. Fitness will play a key role. There are a lot of youngsters coming up, will they be able to compete with them? There is a question mark but it depends on how they want to play their game. There is no shortage of ability,” he added.
Kapil Dev also urged the youngsters to step up in the absence of senior players and make most of the opportunity.
“There are always a couple of players who turn out to be the pillars of your side. The team revolves around them but we need to break that and build at least 5-6 players like that. That’s why I say, you can’t depend on Virat and Rohit.
You need players who fulfill each of their responsibilities. The youngsters will need to come forward and say ‘it is our time,’” said Kapil.
Agencies

KR Desk