Kapil Dev urges pacers to manage workload at Bengaluru Blasters launch

Kapil Dev, the 67-year-old former India captain and all-rounder, told attendees in Bengaluru on Tuesday at the launch of Bengaluru Blasters ahead of the inaugural JITO Premier League that fast bowlers must manage their workload in the T20 era. He opened with a joke — “My mother is no more. If she were alive, she could have given a few of her recipes to the current fast bowlers!” — and after a few laughs returned to serious points, noting he never missed a Test through injury in his career.

Kapil said modern schedules demand bowlers understand their physical limits and urged the board to take notice, stating: "One should know about one’s own body. There is too much T20 cricket happening, so you have to be careful about the toll it takes on the body. Our body is actually not tuned to being a fast bowler. Our body is more tuned to being a batter. The BCCI should look into how much workload can be given to fast bowlers,".

He voiced support for the BCCI's recent stance that international players should take part in domestic competitions, arguing that regular domestic cricket offers important preparation and learning opportunities. "Playing domestic cricket is very important. The reason why Indian teams struggle against spin is because the top players don’t play enough domestic cricket. That’s where the BCCI should put its foot down and make everyone play multi-day matches. The other aspect is that the younger generation will get to learn from the top players," Kapil said.

Kapil linked format mix to skill erosion against spin and cautioned about the balance between white-ball and red-ball preparation, underlining the difference in demands between formats. He stressed the need for multi-day match practice as part of that correction when discussing how India addresses spin bowling challenges.

India will have to tackle spin effectively to do well in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka starting on Saturday, Kapil added. "In recent times, India has not been the best against spin bowling. They play too many T20s and ODIs. Test matches are a different ball game. I hope they can put their heads together".