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Kapil Dev, India’s 1983 World Cup-Winning Captain, Says, ‘Don’t Play In IPL If You Feel Pressure’

Kapil Dev’s comments were not taken positively by netizens on social media who slammed the legendary cricketer for his words on mental health issues.

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Kapil Dev feels 'pressure' is a very wrong word.
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Former India’s World Cup-winning captain and legendary Kapil Dev feels that one should not play in the Indian Premier League if they feel ‘pressurised’ while playing in the franchise cricket tournament. (More Cricket News)

Mocking ‘pressure’ and ‘depression’ as American words, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain stated that a player shouldn’t feel any pressure if the individual has the passion to play the game. “I hear a lot of times on TV that there’s a lot of pressure on IPL players. Then I have only one thing to say: don’t play,” Kapil Dev was quoted as saying at an educational event.

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“If a player has passion, then there will be no pressure. I can’t understand these American words, like ‘pressure’ and ‘depression’. I come from a farming background, we played because we enjoyed the game,” added the legendary all-rounder.  

One of the finest all-rounders the world cricket has ever seen, Dev urged the students to convert pressure into pleasure stating “pressure is a very wrong word.” “I remember going to a school where students of class 10 and 12 told they face lot of pressure.

“I said, ‘So you also face pressure!’. You people sit in air-conditioned rooms with fees paid by your parents, teachers cannot beat you up, then where is this pressure coming from? Ask me what pressure is all about.

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“Teachers used to beat us up and then would ask where we had gone. Students need to convert this into pleasure and fun, pressure is a very wrong word,” he added. However, Dev’s statements didn’t go well with the netizens on social media.

While some felt, Dev was just being practical, others who weren’t on the same page with the legendary figure, opined the former captain was making a mockery of mental health struggles faced by many.

Here is how Twitter reacted to Kapil Dev’s statements.

— Avi (@libranavi) October 10, 2022

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