Legendary captain Kapil Dev believes the Indian team management should continue to back Abhishek Sharma for the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, even though the young batter hasn’t had the best tournament so far.
Kapil Dev's advice to Abhishek and Indian management
Abhishek has managed just one half-century in the competition, which came against Zimbabwe. Because of that, some people feel he could be a weak link for India if he continues in the playing XI for the big final in Ahmedabad on Sunday. However, Kapil feels the team should show faith in the player.
"Just believe in your team and the management should believe in the player. And Abhishek should believe in himself that 'I can perform and I will perform'. Still one game is there - the final," Kapil said while speaking on the sidelines of a golf event.
How did India qualified for T20 World Cup final?
India secured their place in the final after defeating England by seven runs in a thrilling semifinal in Mumbai on Thursday night.
India had posted a huge total of 253 runs, but the match became tense when England’s Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks launched a strong counter-attack. Bethell scored an impressive 105 off just 48 balls, while Jacks added 35 from 20 deliveries. Kapil admitted that he did not expect the game to get so close.
"I didn't think that it would become this difficult, when India score 250-plus, it was a brilliant game. Yes, India won, congratulations to them, but in the end it was cricket's win. I enjoyed it a lot, not as a bowler though," the pace legend said with a smile.
Kapil Dev lauds Jasprit Bumrah
Kapil also praised India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah for keeping his calm in such a high-pressure situation. According to him, Bumrah once again proved why he is considered the best bowler in the world, especially with his performance in the death overs.
"Bumrah is the Number one bowler in the world, he is the best. Why is he the best? Because he delivers under pressure and the way he bowls. He deserves all the respect from everybody," he said.
Kapil Dev on Sanju Samson's knock
Kapil also had good words for opener Sanju Samson, whose 42-ball 89 played a major role in setting up India’s big total.
"He is a brilliant cricketer, a big player can go out of target sometime, what happened to Abhishek, but if they are big, they are big and they will come back. And Sanju really played wonderful cricket in the last two games," he said, also mentioning Samson’s 97 in the crucial Super Eight match against the West Indies earlier in the tournament.