Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev has made a bold statement ahead of the Cricket World Cup 2023. He said that the team needs keep their personal interests aside and if they think that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will win them the tournament that’s not gonna happen as youngsters need to step in also and stake their claim.
“If you think Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and 2-3 players will win us the World Cup then that’s never going to happen,” says Kapil Dev
Indian Cricket Team has been under scrutiny for a while. They have failed to win a single ICC Trophy since winning the Champions Trophy in 2013. They have faced heartbreaks in every tournament after that and their recent loss in the T20 World Cup 2022 saw them at the receiving end of a fair amount of criticism.
Many backed them to win the tournament and with the kind of performance they produced in the league stage, it was expected that they would script history. But as it turned they suffered a 10-wicket thrashing at the hands of England in the semi-final.
However, they have one more chance to put their hands on the ICC trophy as Cricket World 2023 is just around the corner. The event will take place in India in October and November and with home conditions on offer, the Men in Blue will be clear favourites to win the event.
The 13th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup will be hosted in India in 2023.
Each team will be playing 9 Group Stage matches in this year's ODI World Cup like the previous one. There'll be no groups! pic.twitter.com/j0NodM8O3m
Advertisement— Tanveer Hassan (@tanveerspeaks_) January 1, 2023
BCCI recently revealed that they have shortlisted 20 players and they will be rotated in the games ahead of the World Cup to prepare them for the event. It’ll also be a great opportunity for seniors in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to fasten their seat belts and take their side to glory as they have been great servants of Indian cricketers for a long time.
However, Kapil Dev feels other way. The former Indian all-rounder said that India will never win the World Cup if they are dependent on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He feels that team need to make some tough decisions and youngsters will need to step up as well. Speaking to ABP News, he said:
“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.”
“The youngsters will need to come forward and say ‘it is our time,” says Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev further said that although Rohit and Virat might turn out to be the pillars of the team but they need 5-6 players around them and youngsters need to step up and say it’s our time now.
“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.” He concluded.
India is slated to play over 25 ODIs this year. It’ll be a great opportunity for them to find the right combination and build a strong team.
Ishan Kishan should be a part of India’s squad for the Cricket World Cup 2023. We need someone like him at the top, who plays high-risk game and takes on bowler in the power play overs.
AdvertisementHe also provides the left-right combination with Rohit Sharma at the other end. @BCCI
— Madhav Sharma (@HashTagCricket) December 26, 2022
