Published 10:52 IST, July 31st 2023
'What happened to Bumrah? We wasted time on him': Kapil Dev stuns with scathing remark
Team India is currently dealing with a plethora of injury issues to their marquee players such as Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer
- SportFit
- 3 min read
The Indian cricket team led by skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid has plenty of problems to address ahead of the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup and the ICC ODI World Cup. Plagued by injuries to their key players, the 'Men in Blue' are currently searching for rhythm and were left badly exposed in the 2nd IND vs WI ODI. Head Coach Rahul Dravid wanted to try and test a few youngsters by resting the iconic duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but the plan completely backfired and a below-par Caribbean team dished out a defeat for team India. Indian superstars such as Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant are all dealing with injury issues and are running against time to get themselves fit and ready for the much-awaited ICC ODI World Cup.
3 things you need to know
- India are currently playing against West Indies in a three-match ODI series
- Prior to the World Cup, India will participate in Asia Cup 2023
- The ODI World Cup kickstarts on October 5, 2023
Kapil Dev tears into Team India's medical staff
(Kapil Dev arrives at an event / Image: AP)
Former India player and the captain to win the first World Cup for India in 1983, the legendary Kapil Dev while speaking to The Week severely criticized how the Indian team management has been handling serious injuries that the players have sustained. Kapil Dev has also reiterated that the team management should have been more proactive keeping the fact in mind that 2023 is a World Cup year and India need their key players to lift the championship for the third time.
The former India skipper said:
What happened to Jasprit Bumrah? He had started to work with so much belief, but if he is not available, be it in a World Cup semi-final/final, then we wasted time on him. Rishabh Pant is such a great cricketer and had he been there, our Test team would've been better. God is kind, it's not as if I never faced injury issues. But the current members of the Indian team are playing for 10 months in a year. Everybody has to look after themselves. The IPL is certainly great, but it can, at times spoil you too.
Kapil Dev cites problems related to workload and the Indian Premier League
(Chennai Super Kings celebrate their 5th IPL title after defeating Gujarat Titans in the final / Image: IPL)
The former India captain spoke further and said that the Indian players compete in the IPL even with a niggle, but when the same happens for an international match, they choose to rest and miss an important game. Kapil Dev expressed that he had no qualms about expressing what he feels. The former all-rounder also said that the cricket board should understand and look into the amount of cricket that the Indian players are playing throughout the year.
Updated 15:05 IST, July 31st 2023