'All I want to say to Virat is…': Kapil Dev's crucial message to Kohli ahead of India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 tie

Ahead of the high-voltage clash India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 clash, legendary India all-rounder Kapil Dev, who not too long ago, questioned Virat Kohli's place in the Playing XI has come up with a very important piece of advice for the star India batter.

After waiting for 10 long months, the time has come. It's India vs Pakistan day. The mother of all battles, the frequency of which has reduced drastically, will renew tonight as India take on Pakistan in the second match of the Asia Cup 2022 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Besides the hype of an India-Pakistan game, another topic that is equally big and promises to catch eyeballs later tonight is the returning Virat Kohli and the kind of form he is going to be in. Kohli is coming back to international cricket after almost a month-long break having skipped India's tours of West Indies and Zimbabwe and expectations would be immense from the former India captain to brush aside his poor form and return to his swashbuckling best.

Kapil Dev with an important message for Virat Kohli.  (Getty Images)

Ahead of the high-voltage clash, legendary India all-rounder Kapil Dev, who not too long ago, questioned Kohli's place in the Playing XI has come up with a very important piece of advice for the star India batter. With only a handful of matches left between now and T20 World Cup, Kapil wants Kohli to feature in as many matches as possible for India as he believes that playing more will make it easier for him to return to form and play a role in bringing a lot more positive mindset.

"I don't think so. We shouldn't even think about it," Kapil responded to a reporter's query of whether the Asia Cup 2022 is Kohli's last audition' before the T20 World Cup on Uncut. "If we use terms like last audition, or last chance, I don't think that is right. I just want to say to him that he should keep on playing matches. Sometimes, you shouldn't be taking too many breaks. He is a professional and he should not have that problem. I personally feel he should play as many matches and as many matches he can play. That's more important. When you start scoring runs, then the thought process changes."

Kapil mentioned that unlike his era, today it is good to see players with impact getting more chances. Seniors such as Rohit Sharma, Kohli and others when rested, pave way for youngsters to step-up. And a lot of them, including the likes of Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Shubman Gill have made an impact. This practice going forward, reckons Kapil, is healthy for Indian cricket.

"He should be. Today it doesn't make a difference who's in the team and who isn't. In our time, it used to happen that if a big player is in the team, he has to play. You can't make him sit out. In T20s, a lot has changed. Even if a big player sits out or rests – like Kohli, Rohit or Ashwin, it's fine. The mindset of players have changed which us very good. Who is a bigger name does not matter. What matters is who gives the bigger performance," India's first-ever World Cup winner said.