‘Rohit Sharma must be more aggressive’ – Kapil Dev’s advice to India skipper after England’s ‘Bazball’ success

Rohit Sharma and Kapil Dev. (Photo Source: Twitter)

England’s ploy of taking the attack to the opposition, fondly known as ‘Bazball’, has taken the cricketing world by storm. Head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have changed people’s outlook towards Test cricket. The fearless gameplay has earned the England team a lot of plaudits and legendary former India captain Kapil Dev also joined the admiration club.

In a recent interview, Kapil was effusive in his praise for Bazball and stated that he enjoyed England’s performance in the recently-concluded Ashes. The ‘Haryana Hurricane’ also urged Indian captain Rohit Sharma to be a bit more aggressive and asked teams to emphasise winning games rather than playing for draws.

“Bazball is wonderful. The series between England and Australia was one of the finest series I have seen in recent times. I think cricket should be played like that. Rohit is good. But he must be more aggressive. You have to think about how teams like England play now. And it’s not just us. All cricket-playing countries have to think on those lines. Winning the game should be the highest priority (not play for draws) for all teams,” Kapil replied on being asked whether India can adopt Bazball, during an interview with Times of India.

India need to come in the top four first, after that, anything is possible: Kapil

India are one of the strong contenders to go the distance in the upcoming ODI World Cup. Kapil Dev, who led India to their first World Cup win in 1983, explained the importance of reaching the semifinals and how things can fall in place thereafter.

“They need to come in the top four (semi-finals) first. After that, anything is possible. You need a stroke of luck from the semi-final stage onwards and need things to go your way. But the most important thing is to reach the top four,” the 64-year-old stated.

India’s next ODI assignment is the Asia Cup which will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma and Co. will hope to do all the fine-tuning necessary ahead of the 10-team World Cup in October-November.

Also See: Asia Cup 2023 Schedule