New Delhi, March 26: Former India captain Kapil Dev has expressed surprise over Sachin Tendulkar’s decision to not play in the World T20 Championships, to be held in the West Indies from April 30.
“It is very surprising that he (Tendulkar) is fit enough to play the 43-day long Indian Premier League but cannot represent the country in the T20 World Cup,” Kapil said on the sidelines of the India Sports Summit here on Thursday.
Tendulkar had opted out of T20 internationals in 2007, and on Tuesday insisted he wasn’t playing this time around either.
The former all-rounder also said he was not surprised by how well some of the senior players were doing in the IPL. “A fit and experienced player can excel in any form of the game. I feel that if you put a 35-year-old skilled and fit player along with a 20-year-old inexperienced player, the former will have a greater chance of succeeding,” he said.
Kapil also brushed aside the claim that T20 cricket was loaded heavily against the bowlers. “In the entire history of cricket, bowlers have always been at a disadvantage. It has always been a batsman’s game,” Kapil said.
Kapil also felt the Mongoose bat concept was ideal for the IPL. “It’s a good marketing tool for a tournament where spectators crave for more fours and sixes. Any innovation is good for this form of cricket,” he added.
—-Agencies