T20 World Cup 2021: Indian players prefer franchise cricket over country?s team, says Kapil Dev

Indian players prefer franchise cricket over country?s team, says Kapil Dev.

T20 World Cup 2021: Former Indian world cup winning captain Kapil Dev feels Indian cricketers prioritise ?franchise cricket? over the country and now the responsibility is on the board to take firm steps to correct the mistakes committed during the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021.

"When the players prefer to play IPL over playing for the country, what can we say? I believe that every player should feel proud playing for their country," said Kapil Dev to ABP news.

Team India paid a heavy price of two early losses against Pakistan and New Zealand in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021 as they are knocked out of the tournament without even qualifying for the semi-finals. 

"I believe that your national team should come first and after that franchise or any other team,? he added.

He further said he equally support the IPL, however, the scheduling process should be better when it comes to drawing a line between IPL and representing the nation.

"I am not saying don't play cricket there (for franchises) but it is now BCCI's responsibility to plan their cricket (schedule) better for the future," the 62-year-old Dev said of the Indian cricket board.

"What we can learn from this defeat is to not repeat the mistakes that have been made. This is the biggest lesson."

Dev, who took India to the 1983 World Cup win, added that BCCI should have given players some time off in between the IPL and T20 World Cup 2021.

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Indian cricketers are on a road of straight six months of cricket and the issues of mental fatigue have been highlighted by ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah and bowling coach Bharat Arun.

Bowling coach of team India, Bharat Arun, on the eve of India?s final T20 World Cup 2021 match against Namibia said that the team would have done better had they been given some rest after the IPL 2021 in UAE. 

"I just feel that there should have been some gap between IPL and the World Cup. But this is certainly there that our players today have a lot of exposure, but they could not make the most of it (at the T20 World Cup),? said Kapil Dev.

Now as the all-important ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is done and dusted for the side in blue outfit, the management should immediately shift its aim towards the coming marquee events which are the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia and the ODI World Cup 2023 in India.

The fresh blood should be introduced to the star-studded India side in order to create a natural balance in the playing11. The likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Avesh Khan, Vanketesh Iyer who showed signs of the future in them should be given enough game time and international exposure before the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.

Moreover, it will be important to see the partnership between the new incoming Indian coach, Rahul Dravid, and the new T20I skipper and probably the ODI skipper as well.

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