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‘If you think Rohit, Kohli will win you World Cup, that will never happen': Kapil Dev wants youngsters to step up

Jan 03, 2023 10:16 AM IST

The runs don't come as regularly as they used to from both of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's bats. India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev, therefore, said it will be better if India don't pin their hopes of winning the World Cup on Kohli and Rohit alone.

The transition period of Indian cricket has already started. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are unlikely to play T20 cricket regularly and their future in ODI cricket is set to bear the same look after this year's World Cup at home. Both Rohit and Kohli have been pillars of Indian cricket for 10 years or so. They still are among the top 10 batters in world cricket as far as limited-overs cricket is concerned but a lot has changed in the last couple of years. The runs don't come as regularly as they used to from both of these stalwarts' bats, there is a pool of talent waiting for opportunities. India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev, therefore, said it will be better if India don't pin their hopes of winning the World Cup on Kohli and Rohit alone.

India's skipper Rohit Sharma and teammate Virat Kohli(ANI)
India's skipper Rohit Sharma and teammate Virat Kohli(ANI)

"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 bhadosa 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.

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Rohit, officially India's current all-format captain, has not scored a century in ODI cricket for more than two years now. Kohli, on the other hand, ended a 36-month-long wait for an ODI century in the third match against Bangladesh last month.

Kapil said Rohit and Kohli have done their bit, now it is the time for the youngsters to step up and take the team forward.

"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 fulfil each of their responsibilities. The youngsters will need to come forward and say 'it is our time'," the legendary all-rounder said.

At the end of this year's World Cup at home, Rohit will be nearing 37 while Kohli would have just entered 36. Kapil said it would take a herculean task for the two legends to play in the next ODI World Cup.

"The biggest positive is that the World Cup will happen in India. Nobody knows the conditions better than we do. For the last 8-10 years, Rohit and Virat have been two of the most important cricketers for India. Many have started to ask the question if this will be Virat and Rohit's last World Cup. I believe they can play but they will need to work really hard. Fitness will play a key role. There are a lot of youngsters coming up, will they be able to compete with them? There is a question mark but it depends on how they want to play their game. There is no shortage of ability," he added.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will return to the Indian side for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka starting January 10.

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