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Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev has weighed in with some crucial advice for the Men in Blue ahead of their high-stakes T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final clash against England in Guyana. The undefeated Indian team, fresh off victories against Pakistan and Australia, are taking on the defending T20 World Cup champions on June 27.
Kapil Dev stressed on the importance of teamwork for India's success. In an interview with PTI, he urged the team to move away from relying on individual brilliance and instead focus on playing as a united force. This approach, he believes, is key to overcoming the challenge posed by England.
“Why talking about only Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, or Kuldeep Yadav... everybody has a role to play. Their job is to win the tournament. To win a match, an odd person can come out, but to win a tournament everybody has to work together. If we are going to depend on Bumrah or Arshdeep, then you are going to lose it,” Kapil Dev told PTI.
Kapil Dev went on to highlight the importance of contributions from all players, not just a select few. He emphasized that prioritizing the team as a whole, where every member steps up and fulfills their role, is crucial for India's T20 World Cup victory.
“All the XI players have to contribute. It’s a part & parcel of the game. Let's talk about team. That gives you a better perspective rather than odd player. Yes main player is there and we can go around him. But everybody has to chip in win the World Cup,” he added.
To illustrate his point, Kapil Dev drew a parallel between the current Indian squad and his own history-making 1983 World Cup team. He emphasized that their success wasn't built on individual heroics, but on a collective effort where every player rose to the occasion and contributed meaningfully.
“Roger Binny, Mohinder Amarnath, Kirti Azad, Yashpal Sharma all came out with match-winning performances. If you start depending on one player it means you are not going to win tournaments more often".
Kapil Dev concluded his message with a note of optimism. He wished the Indian team the very best, expressing his hope that they would overcome the challenge of England and secure their place in the finals against South Africa.
“All the Best, good luck, I hope the Indian players, the way they are playing they keep on playing like that, they should not have a bad day and they can be out of tournament what happened last time in 50 overs World Cup. They are playing well, they are enjoying. Hats off to them. Good luck to them. My prayer. All the people in the country they simply think the way I think. No different. I wish them all the luck and happiness,” Kapil concluded.
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