JANUARY 8, 2023
Rohit Sharma CP September 20
1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev is known for his blunt remarks. In a recent conversation with a TV channel, the legendary all-rounder made stunning remarks about Team India skipper Rohit Sharma.
The 63-year-old former cricketer pointed out the biggest flaw that has been severely affecting Rohit Sharma of late, and it was none other than his fitness.
In Kapil Dev’s opinion, Rohit Sharma will not be able to lead India to World Cup glory unless he spends more time in the gym and remains injury free for a prolonged period.
“There’s no shortcoming in Rohit Sharma. He has everything but I personally think, there is a huge question mark over his fitness. Is he fit enough? Because a captain should be someone who motivates the other players to get fitter, the teammates should feel proud of their captain,” Kapil Dev said on ABP News.
The former India captain stressed if Rohit Sharma’s fitness levels improved considerably, it will motivate the youngsters to work even harder.
“I can say with surety that there is a huge doubt over Rohit’s fitness. There has been a lot of criticism that he hasn’t scored that many runs since he has become captain, I kind of agree with it but I don’t think there is any issue with his cricketing skills. He is a very successful cricketer. If he gets fitter, the entire team will rally around him,” Kapil Dev added.
However, this isn’t the first time Kapil Dev hasn’t minced words about issues related to senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Days ago, the Haryana Hurricane caused a furor in India by suggesting that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will not be able to power India to the World Cup title this year.
The 50-over World Cup will take place in India in October-November. After last year’s T20 World Cup debacle in Australia, the pressure is mounting on the Men in Blue to finally end their long wait for an ICC title, which has now extended to 9 years.
India last won a World Cup title in 2011, and their last ICC trophy came in 2013 in England, both under the leadership of the great MS Dhoni. Since then, the Indians have failed to breach the semifinal barrier, losing at that stage on multiple occasions, most recently in the T20 World Cup to England in Adelaide in 2022.
Against this backdrop, Kapil Dev wants India’s youth brigade to step up instead of expecting Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to deliver the goods for the team, particularly under pressure and in crunch situations.
“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 Dev told a local media outlet.
“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’,” he elaborated.
“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,” Kapil Dev noted.
Previously, when Virat Kohli was going through a prolonged slump with the bat, he urged the national selectors to drop him from the T20I team and replace him with an in-form player.
Courtesy/Source: The post appeared first on ClutchPoints.
