Kohli has changed the game in terms of fitness, says Kapil Dev
INDIA GREAT Kapil Dev has heaped praise on skipper Virat Kohli and has drawn a comparison with late Jagmohan Dalmiya.
The 1983 WC winning-captain also labelled both Kohli and Dalmiya as ‘heroes’. Delivering a lecture at the Annual Jagmohan Dalmiya Conclave, Kapil said that the prolific batsman has taken cricket to another level in terms of fitness.
“We look up to you (Kohli), you are our hero, much like Dalmiya (was off the field). You can change things and you have done this in terms of fitness which we all are proud of today. Every captain comes out with something new and you have taken the fitness level to a new level. We, as cricketers, can say ‘keep up the good work’. You have the ability to believe in yourself, you can achieve the ultimate.”
Kapil termed Dalmiya as the off-field hero and said cricketers are enjoying today because of the efforts of the veteran administrator.
“We have two type of heroes — one is off the field and another on the field. If cricketers are enjoying today it’s possible because of Dalmiya, without him we would have struggled. Earlier we would ask ‘can we get wages like Australia, England. Now all this has changed and they are now saying can we get wages like India. That has changed because of him.”
Dalmiya, who passed away on September 20, 2015, played a major role in BCCI’s administration. The legendary all-rounder added that it was Dalmiya who helped every cricketer of his era make the most of their relatively short-spanned careers.
“It’s important to have money on your side and Dalmiya understood that. Not everyone is Sachin Tendulkar, you only get to play 15-20 years at max and you are at your prime for eight-10 years. He ensured that you make your life in that career, that credit goes to my hero. He wasn’t the best of speakers but he was instrumental in bringing everybody together, a true leader who got things done. He was the hero of every cricketer in our country. What we are today is because of this man.”
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