Kapil Dev urges patience, backs Kamboj’s potential and Gill’s leadership

Overview

• Anshul Kamboj took only one wicket for 89 runs in 18 overs of the first innings.
• Kapil Dev urges fans to give Kamboj some time before judging
• He also spoke about Shubman Gill’s captaincy and Jasprit Bumrah's consistency

Anshul Kamboj’s Test debut has not gone as planned, as he managed only one wicket for 89 runs in 18 overs in the first innings of the ongoing Manchester Test against England. However, throughout his spell, the main talking point was the average pace at which he bowled because previously, he was seen bowling at a much-increased pace — be it in the domestic arena or the IPL for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Hence, many cricket experts and fans were left stunned and concerned over his debut outing. But the 1983 World Cup-winning captain and former Team India great, Kapil Dev, has urged fans to be a little patient before passing final judgment on the debutant.

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Speaking at the launch of the second-half schedule of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), Kapil said: “What do you expect from a debutant, that he should take 10 wickets? You have to assess his potential. If he’s good enough, he will bounce back. Everyone is nervous when playing their first game. The result may not be ideal, but I believe the ability is there, and that’s more important.”

Kapil Dev praises Jasprit Bumrah

The president of PGTI also further spoke about Shubman Gill and his captaincy. He said that Gill also deserves some time to grow as a captain.

“Give him time. This is his first series — he will commit mistakes, and there will be many positives over time. There is no problem if he is learning. There will be mistakes, but learning from them is what’s important. This is a young team. Any new team takes time to adjust. Gill is a new captain, and I think this series will be a learning step for him,” Kapil said.

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Kapil also claimed that despite having a unique bowling action, the way Jasprit Bumrah has been performing consistently, hats off to him.

“Everybody is different. Times have changed, bodies are different. Yes, he is one of our top fast bowlers but his action is so awkward and it is difficult to sustain. We didn’t think he would play this long, but he is still delivering for India — hats off to him,” he concluded.