“He must be more aggressive” - Kapil Dev advises Rohit Sharma while praising England’s Bazball approach

Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev has advised current Team India captain Rohit Sharma to be more aggressive. Praising England’s Bazball approach, the former skipper said that not only India, but all teams must have a similar approach to the game in Test cricket.

England’s ultra-aggressive approach came under fire during the first half of Ashes 2023 as they lost the first two Tests by close margins. However, Ben Stokes and co. made a commendable fightback to level the five-match series 2-2.

In an interview with The Times of India, Kapil was asked for his views on Bazball and whether India too can try out a similar approach.

"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,” he replied.

After losing the first two Tests, England clinched the third Test in Leeds by three wickets. The fourth match in Manchester ended in a draw due to rain but it was also dominated by the hosts. England completed a successful comeback in Ashes 2023 by winning the final Test at The Oval by 49 runs.

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“They need to come in the top four first” - Kapil Dev on India’s World Cup chances

Asked about Team India’s chances in the upcoming ODI World Cup at home, Kapil opined that the hosts need to reach the semi-finals first, adding anything can happen from there.

“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,” he stated.

The 64-year-old also agreed that India are playing way too much cricket and urged the fixtures committee to have a serious look at the workload.

“Injuries are part and parcel of any player’s life. But I feel they (Indian team) are playing too much cricket. The fixtures committee should seriously look at how much cricket they want to give the team and its players,” Kapil added.

India will begin their 2023 World Cup campaign by taking on Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8.