‘Aap Virat pe, Rohit pe bharosa karenge ki wo hume WC jeetayenge toh…’ – Kapil Dev gives scathing remark on team India

Indian cricket is already in a transitional phase following a 20-20 World Cup 2022 semifinal exit and ODI series loss to Bangladesh. After hosting the World Cup later this year, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s futures in ODI cricket are expected to be similar to those in T20 cricket. For about ten years, Rohit and Kohli have both been the foundation of Indian cricket. As far as limited-overs cricket is concerned, they remain among one of the best batters in the world, although a lot has changed over the past few years.

Both of these pillars’ bats no longer produce runs as frequently as they once did, but there is a talent pool ready and waiting for opportunities. Kapil Dev, the captain of India’s 1983 World Cup winning team, suggested that it would be preferable for India not to place all of their World Cup winning hopes only on Kohli and Rohit.

The team revolves around them but we need to break that: Kapil Dev

“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 bharosa 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.

The all-formats skipper of India, Rohit, has gone more than two years without an ODI century. In contrast, Kohli finally achieved an ODI century in the third game against Bangladesh last month, ending a 36-month drought. Rohit and Kohli have contributed, according to Kapil, and it is now up to the younger players to lead the team ahead.

“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’,” the former all-rounder stated.