Former Indian cricket team captain, Kapil Dev, has once again raised concerns about Rohit Sharma’s fitness. While he acknowledged that Rohit is a great batsman, he believes that there is still room for improvement in terms of his physical fitness. Comparing Rohit to his former teammate and current Indian captain, Virat Kohli, Kapil Dev highlighted the importance of fitness for a captain and expressed his disappointment that Rohit appears to be overweight on TV.
“Rohit is a great batter but when you talk about his fitness levels, he looks a bit overweight, at least on TV. Yes, I realise it’s different when you look at someone on TV and in real life. But from whatever I see, Rohit is a great player and a great captain, but he needs to get fit," Kapil Dev said while speaking to ABP News ahead of the third Test between India and Australia.
Kapil Dev emphasized the importance of fitness for any player, especially for a captain. He believes that it is a shame if a player is not up to the mark as far as fitness levels are concerned, and that Rohit needs to put in some hard work on his fitness. Kapil Dev commended Rohit for his record as captain, but suggested that he could take inspiration from Kohli, who has maintained his fitness levels despite being one of the busiest cricketers in the world.
“It is very important for any player to be fit. More so for a captain. It’s a shame if you are not up to the mark as far as fitness levels are concerned. Rohit needs to put some hard work on his fitness," he said.
"Look at Virat, whenever you see him, you say, ‘that’s some fitness!’," he added.
Kapil Dev’s concerns about Rohit’s fitness are not new. He had previously raised the issue last month, stating that while there was no doubting Rohit’s cricketing ability, there was a ‘huge question mark’ on his fitness.
“I can say with surety that there is a huge doubt over Rohit’s fitness. He has faced a lot of criticism for not scoring well since he became the captain. I kind of agree with it but I don’t believe there is any issue with his cricketing skills," Kapil said.
