Kapil Dev on Cricket Tours: Balancing Family and Team Commitments

Kapil Dev, former India cricket captain, stresses the importance of balancing family involvement and team commitments during tours. Reflecting on past practices, he commented on the significance of family support. Virat Kohli echoed similar sentiments about family's grounding influence, advocating for a blend of personal life and cricket responsibilities.

In a candid discussion, former India captain Kapil Dev addressed the contentious issue of family involvement during cricket tours, emphasizing the need for players to strike a balance between their team commitments and personal lives. Speaking on the heels of Virat Kohli's remarks about players not wanting to 'sit alone and sulk,' Dev advocated for family support while ensuring team unity remains intact. 'That is the cricket board's call, but my opinion is that you need your family, and you also need the team with you all the time,' he conveyed to reporters.

Reminiscing about his playing days, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain shared insights into how players managed this balance in the past. 'In our time, we used to say to ourselves--not by the cricket board--that in the first half, let us focus on cricket, and in the second half, families should join in and enjoy too. It should be a blend,' he explained.

Echoing Dev's sentiments, current cricket star Virat Kohli, speaking at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit before IPL 2025, highlighted the grounding presence of family amid the pressures of professional sports. 'It is very difficult to explain to people how grounding it is to just come back to your family every time you have something intense, which happens on the outside,' Kohli remarked, underscoring the vital role family plays in maintaining a sense of normalcy and balance.

Meanwhile, Kapil Dev expressed his excitement about the growth of golf in India, where he is actively involved with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). 'Very exciting to be a part of Professional Golf Tour of India. I am very excited that something new is happening. We can bring more people to the golf course...Today, cricket has reached a huge stage it is because the cricket board have given them the opportunity to play at the highest level,' he added.

(With inputs from agencies.)