'Except Gavaskar and Kumble, no Indian captain exited gracefully'

Except Sunil Gavaskar and Anil Kumble, none of the Indian cricket captains exited gracefully from the Indian team, not even Kapil Dev, said former Indian cricketer Chetan Sharma on his visit to Bhopal on Monday.

Updated on: Oct 21, 2013, 22:54:54 IST

Hindustan Times | By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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Except Sunil Gavaskar and Anil Kumble, none of the Indian cricket captains exited gracefully from the Indian team, not even Kapil Dev, said former Indian cricketer Chetan Sharma on his visit to Bhopal on Monday.

"In India, there is no captain who took retirement respectfully from the team, not even Kapil Dev," he said.

Chetan, who faded from the cricketing scene after Pakistan cricketing great Javed Miandad slammed him for a last-ball six to win a tournament, said he was satisfied with Sachin Tendulkar's decision to retire from all formats of cricket.

"I am happy over his decision. He is retiring respectfully from the team as his decision of retirement was timely. He is taking retirement after 200 test matches and it's a big achievement for any player."

"Absence of Sachin from the test matches will be felt badly as Indian team doesn't have good batsmen in test matches," he said.

Asked about selection of Indian bowler Ishant Sharma for the next match despite his poor performance in last one-day match against Australia Chetan said, "Ishant Sharma must have done some good deeds in his life. That's why he was selected."

Commenting on small town players not getting chance Sharma said, "Selectors do their job excellently. There is no bias in the selection process. The player, who performs well, gets his place in the team. It is impossible for selectors to give chance to every player so luck also works in the selection."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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