Legendary Indian cricketer, Kapil Dev has shared a report card, in which he summed up Team India’s performance during the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri era. Kohli and Shastri had worked together as captain and coach since 2017 for four years, during which Indian cricket achieved phenomenal success. However, their stint ended on an unexpected note with India failing to reach the knockout stage of the T20 World Cup, failing to qualify for the semifinals for the first time in eight ICC events.
Kapil Dev pointed out that although the team has pulled off some brilliant performances, changing the way Indian cricket is looked at, the absence of an ICC title is what will make Shastri and Kohli’s tenure incomplete. Weighing in on India’s performance at the T20 World Cup, Kapil mentioned how this was the first time since the 2007 50-over World Cup, that the men in blue returned with a poor show.
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During an interview with Uncut, Kapil Dev said, “I think both have done a super job. I understand that they could not win India a major trophy but if we look at the last five years, since Kohli took over, there has been nothing lack. The big thing lacking is an ICC trophy. Apart from that, India have won in Australia, England… wherever they have travelled, they have beaten the other team.”
He further added, “Reaching the World Cup knockouts is also a huge deal. I think after the 2007 World Cup in West Indies, this T20 World Cup is where it felt that India were disappointing. Had they reached the top 4 and then lost, it is understandable. But if you don’t reach the top 4, there will be criticism.”
Kapil Dev said that due to the lack of an ICC title, he would deduct 10 percent marks out of 100, but nothing more given the fact that India has been playing some dominating cricket, winning the Asia Cup, reaching the final of the inaugural World Test Championship and finishing semi-finalists in the 2019 World Cup.
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Former Indian skipper explained, “If you look at it from a trophy point of view, that’s a different thing altogether. But if you look at their cricket, the brand they have played in the last five years, I would give them 90 percent marks out of 100, and deduct 10 percent marks for not winning an ICC Trophy.”
