(PTI Photo)
Regarded as one of cricket’s all-time greats and a World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev has praised today’s Indian cricketers for their superior fitness and work ethic compared to his era. He particularly singled out Jasprit Bumrah, considering him a vastly superior bowler, even claiming Bumrah is “1000 times better” than he was.
Kapil Dev, known for his prowess as an all-rounder and retired as the leading Test wicket-taker, led India to a historic victory in the 1983 World Cup final against the dominant West Indies team. His memorable innings of 175* against Zimbabwe in the same tournament remains a legendary feat in cricket history, showcasing his dual impact as both a fast bowler and a formidable batsman.
“Bumrah is 1000 times better than me,” Kapil told news agency PTI. “These young boys are far better than us. We had more experience. They are better. They are very good. Outstanding. They are fitter. They are much more hardworking. They are fantastic.”
India has set their sights on clinching the 2024 T20 World Cup title and have secured a spot in the semi-finals, where they are scheduled to meet defending champions England on Thursday.
According to Kapil, the focus should not solely be on identifying key individual players who could influence India’s success. Instead, he advocates for a collective effort where everyone in the team is motivated to make significant contributions.
“Why talk about only Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, or Kuldeep Yadav? Everybody has a role to play. Their job is to win the tournament,” Kapil said.
“To win a match, an odd person can come out, but to win a tournament everybody has to work together. If we are going to depend on Bumrah or Arshdeep, then you are going to lose it,” he added.
Kapil emphasizes that winning a World Cup requires every player to play their part within the team.
“Let’s talk about the team. That gives you a better perspective rather than the odd player. Yes main player is there and we can go around him. But everybody has to chip in to win the World Cup,” he said.
Referring to his triumph in 1983, Kapil Dev highlighted that players like Roger Binny, Mohinder Amarnath, Kirti Azad, and Yashpal Sharma delivered match-winning performances, demonstrating the importance of collective contributions in winning tournaments. He believes that relying too heavily on one player diminishes the team’s chances of consistently winning tournaments.
However, Kapil also expressed his view that the role of a captain is often exaggerated or overemphasized.
“Everybody can do captaincy. Hardik, Virat, Rohit everyone can do captaincy. When you give ball to somebody, the bowler has to do the job. Yes captain is there to help you out but it’s not like if you don’t win he is not a good captain.”
