As the new Indian team under Hardik Pandya is looking forward to playing Sri Lanka in the upcoming T20I and ODI series, former Indian skipper Kapil Dev has made a huge comment on the upcoming ODI World Cup to be hosted in India. Meanwhile, the first IND vs SL T20I will be played in Mumbai on January 3.
The series is being seen as the start of India’s preparations for the 50-over World Cup to be played in October-November this year. With just nine-odd months to go, the management has already announced a core group of 20 players who will be rotated within the squad till the World Cup.
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Personal Interests Will Have To Take A Backseat: Kapil Dev
Meanwhile, Kapil Dev in an interaction with ABP News as said that the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cannot win India the ODI World Cup and that the team and the selectors need to make some tough decisions.
“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. 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 told ABP News.
Rohit Sharma was retained as the captain across formats for World Cup till the World Cup in the review meeting that was held on January 1, 2024. The Indian skipper has endured a tough run with the bat in 2022. He scored 249 runs in 8 ODIs, 90 runs in two Tests and 656 runs in 29 T20Is in 2022.
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Virat Kohli, on the other hand, finally scored a T20I and an ODI century in 2022 after a 36-month-long wait, the biggest in his career. Kapil Dev said that the likes of Kohli and Rohit have done their bit and it is the new players who will need to take up the responsibility now.
Can’t Depend Always Depend On Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma: Kapil Dev
“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 fulfil each of their responsibilities. The youngsters will need to come forward and say ‘it is our time’,” the former skipper concluded saying.
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