Kapil Dev Says No To 'Certainty', Sets Condition For Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli To Play ODI World Cup
Kapil said selectors and team management are best placed to take a decision on such senior players.
Legendary Kapil Dev asserted that even stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are not a “certainty” in the Indian team but the veteran batters should be given a chance as long as they are performing. Rohit, 39, and Kohli, 37, are at the fag end of their storied careers, but the former found himself in a pressure situation after two lowly outings against England in the ongoing three-match ODI series.
“Certainty is never ever applied to anybody. Whoever keeps performing, keeps playing. It doesn't matter (who he is). I would say, you keep watching the performance and let them play as much as they can,” Kapil told PTI during an interaction at the Kapil Dev Sunil Gupta Hospital here.
Kapil said selectors and team management are best placed to take a decision on such senior players.
“Even Sachin Tendulkar had a lot of cricket left in him (when he retired). Let the selectors do that job. I'm not going to say who's dropped. It's the selectors' and the team management's job. I'm assessing after watching television, so it's easy to talk about that.
“Let's give the responsibility to the management and to the selectors to pick the best team. If they lose, we should stand by them,” he said.
However, Kapil exhorted the fans to enjoy whatever little is left in the careers of these veterans.
“He (Rohit) is not 20 years old. He is almost 40, and everybody has to retire. But the amount of happiness he has given to everybody—not just Indian people, but everybody around the world -- hats off to him,” he said.
“What he has given us for so many years, we should be proud of that. And as much as he can play, or as the selectors or captain think, he should play,” he added.
The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper also urged the selectors to pick a team that can win matches for India, rising above factors like age etc.
“Transition is the method they want to use. It's ok, doesn't matter, let them. Tomorrow a new boy will come and he will take over. We just have to sit back, watch, and enjoy ourselves.
“I think it's taking time, but we have so much talent. They have to focus on who's going to play. Don't try to make too many shifts. Winning is the most important. If anybody is good, don't go by his age, don't go by his stature. You just have to pick a team that can win for India,” he observed.
Kapil said teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be given time, considering he is just 15-year-old, to mature and meet his potential.
“I don't want to talk about him too much. He has the talent and just give him the opportunity. We've seen that talent, rest he has to work very hard. A 15-year-old boy is a 15-year-old. But let him grow with his ability and talent.” On the Indian team losing the T20I series against Ireland and England 0-2 and 0-4 respectively, Kapil said: “I think after they played so well for the last 3-4 years, I never expected it to be as bad as that, but it happens. It's a cycle — (performance) goes up, comes down. Other teams try to catch up, and I think this is a new beginning for the Indian cricket team.
“My heart is always with the Indian team. I hope they win all the matches. But they have to perform, they have to play well to win,” he signed off.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
India Cricket Team
England Cricket Team
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli