Kapil Dev's Blunt Message To Rohit: "If Captain's Form Is Poor, Team'll..."

Rohit Sharma's last 10 innings in international cricket (across formats) read - 2, 3, 9, 10, 3, 6, 18, 11, 0, 8. Merely by looking at the scores one can deduce that something is not right with the Indian cricket team captain, once one of the most prolific batters in the world. Forget a century, the last time Rohit was able to cross the 50-run mark was in October 2024. While on-field performance has been poor, Rohit has been reportedly battling off-fiield issues too. There have been reports of rift in the Indian dressing room with multiple reports claiming that we might be seeing the last few months of Rohit Sharma in international cricket if things don't improve drastically. 

Keeping those factors in mind, the Champions Trophy 2025 will be an acid test for Rohit Sharma. However, the preparation of it has not begun on a good note as Rohit fell for 2 off seven balls in the first ODI against England. 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev gave an honest take on Rohit Sharma.

"He is a big player. I hope he returns to form quickly. I will say good luck to the coach. It takes time to settle in. The whole country is looking forward to the side's performance. In the recent times, the side played well for some time. The team looks unsettled. When the captain's form is poor, the team has problems," Kapil Dev said on Cricket Adda YouTube channel. 

"The team has not done well, it's justified that the fans are angry. When these players came back after winning the T20 World Cup, the crazy scenes, I have never seen in my life. So, when they do bad, criticism follows. That's what I say, don't praise the players so much, that they can't handle. And then criticise them below the belt. This is my thought."

Madan Lal, teammate of Kapil Dev in the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, then asked Kapil Dev about the fitness concerns of Jasprit Bumrah. Though the fast bowler has been named in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad, there are doubts over his availability. He suffered a back injury during India's Tour of Australia in the first week of January and has been out the Indian team since then.  

"There is no doubt about that. In the last two years, no other fast bowler has had so much impact. When a big player like Bumrah, Anil Kumble, gets unfit, it does impact the team. I hope he recovers soon enough," Kapil Dev said. 

The Champions Trophy 2025 starts on February 19 while India play its first match against Bangladesh on February 20.