At a time when franchise cricket dominates young imaginations, Kapil Dev offered a reminder rooted in legacy and national pride. Speaking at a city hotel during the Indian Chamber of Commerce's Centenary Session in Kolkata, the former World Cup–winning captain made it amply clear that he doesn't harbour any prejudice against newer formats of the game. He termed adaptability as the true marker of greatness, adding that he enjoys all versions of the game. “Mere liye T20 ho ya T10, mujhe koi problem nahi hai,” he underlined, adding cricket's essence remains the same even as formats evolve.
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No divide in eras, only strong basics
Noting that the comparisons between generations are too frequent and uncalled for, Kapil reiterated his belief that even the legends of yesteryear would have done equally well in today's game as well. Using the example of Sunil Gavaskar, he believed that Gavaskar would have “excelled the T20 format that exists today.”
As far as batting is concerned, Kapil Dev highlighted one of the most underpraised values of the game: defence. “Defence is difficult; it gives better room to attack," he reiterated, affirming the important basics even in such aggressive formats.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla backs Kapil: Formats differ, fundamentals don’t
News Ei Samay has spoken to former India cricketer, former Bengal captain, and current senior Bengal men's team head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla. Echoing Kapil Dev's views, he feels that the perceived gap between past and present cricket is largely overstated.
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“I don’t see much difference, except for formats like T20 and T10. To score runs, you must know how to defend. Without defence, you cannot attack,” Shukla said, pointing to players like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly as examples of strong basics translating across formats.
Shukla agreed that Sunil Gavaskar would have succeeded in shorter formats and went a step further, saying Kapil Dev himself would have been a natural superstar in the T20 era due to his all-round abilities in batting, bowling, and fielding.
"The aim for young players should be to play for the country, not IPL," Kapil said while pointing towards a growing mindset shift among parents. " Parents these days say: Mere bete ko IPL khila do. The goal should instead be: Mere bete ko India khila do", he remarked during an interaction with reporters and the audience.
Shukla drives the point home: ‘You cannot skip the process'
Addressing young cricketers and parents, Shukla emphasised that the traditional pathway, beginning to play from school and club cricket to district, state, and then the national level, must be followed. “You cannot plan success by skipping steps,” he said.
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Mindset, method, and mental training
He also pointed to the role of mental conditioning. “Practice alone is not enough. Visualisation and meditation are equally important,” Shukla added, detailing how lucid goal-setting and mental programming shape on-field outcomes. And then, full circle, Kapil Dev and Laxmi Ratan Shukla came together to present a single message: the format may change, but the discipline and the fundamentals and the dream of playing for India would always stay constant.
