"Depends on the selectors": Kapil Dev on Rohit, Virat's inclusion for T20I World Cup
Nov 28, 2023
Gurgaon (Haryana) [India], November 28 : The 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has played down the recent debate about the place of two stalwart India batters - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - for the T20 World Cup.
After the ODI World Cup heartbreak, India have just six months to overcome the emotions and prepare for the tournament, which will be played in the West Indies and the US.
Rohit and Virat have been away from the T20 format for more than a year. Virat played his last T20I game against England in Adelaide in November 2022, while the Indian skipper's last appearance in the 20-over game was also the same clash.
"This depends on the selectors, we can't put our finger everywhere. It is their decision, they should do what they feel is right," Kapil said during an event.
The experienced Mumbai Indians right-handed batter scored 332 runs in 16 matches with a batting average of 20.75.
On the other hand, the Royal Challengers Bangalore's longest-serving player impressed by amassing 639 runs in 14 matches at an average of 53.25. He was also a crucial figure for the Men in Blue in the 2022 T20 World Cup ending the tournament as the highest run scorer with 296.
Virat also impressed with the bat during the recently concluded ODI World Cup breaking the iconic Sachin Tendulkar's record of most ODI tons as well as most runs scored in a single edition of a World Cup.
However, the only concern regarding his selection has been the lack of game time in the shortest format of cricket.
Kapil expressed delight at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gesture to visit the dressing room after the World Cup final defeat against Australia.
"If the PM doesn't encourage then who will? He is the number one man in the country it feels good that he supports and I wish that he supports golf as well."
He also went on to laud the young Indian team for their remarkable performances against Australia in the first two T20Is in the five-match series but also urged them to learn from their flaws.
"It feels good to see them win....If you win, it doesn't mean that there aren't any flaws so rectifying them is the most important thing," Kapil added.
