Kapil Dev backs family presence on tours, calls for balanced approach

New Delhi [India], March 18 (ANI): Former India captain Kapil Dev has weighed in on the ongoing debate about family involvement during cricket tours, stating that a balance between team commitments and personal life is essential. Responding to Virat Kohli's recent comments that no player would want to "sit alone and sulk", Kapil Dev emphasized the importance of family support while also maintaining team unity.
"That is the cricket board's call, but my opinion is that you need your family, and you also need the team with you all the time," he told the reporters.
Reflecting on his own playing days, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain revealed how players managed the balance back then.
"In our time, we used to say to ourselves--not by the cricket board--that in the first half, let us focus on cricket, and in the second half, families should join in and enjoy too. It should be a blend," he explained.
Speaking at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Virat said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, "It is very difficult to explain to people how grounding it is to just come back to your family every time you have something intense, which happens on the outside."
"I do not think people have an understanding of what value it brings to a large extent. And I feel quite disappointed about that because it is like people who have no control over what is going on are kind of brought into conversations and put out at the forefront that, 'oh, maybe they need to be kept away'," he added.
"I want to be able to be normal. And then you can really treat your game as something that is a responsibility. You finish that responsibility, and you come back to life," he said.
"Like, there could be different situations happening in your life all the time. And that allows you to be absolutely normal. Not in a vague sense, but in a very real way that you finish your commitment, your responsibility, and then you come back to your house, you are with family, and there's absolutely normalcy in your house and normal family life goes on. So, for me, that is absolutely a day of immense pleasure. And I would not miss any opportunities to go out and spend time with my family whenever I can," he concluded.
Kapil Dev also spoke about him being part of Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), expressing excitement about the sport's growth in the country.
He said, "Very exciting to be a part of Professional Golf Tour of India. I am very excited that something new is happening. We can bring more people to the golf course...Today, cricket has reached a huge stage it is because the cricket board have given them the opportunity to play at the highest level." (ANI)