Nation first, rest comes later: Kapil urges players to prioritise international cricket over IPL

New Delhi, November 8

World Cup-winning former India captain Kapil Dev believes the country’s cricketers “prioritise IPL” over national assignments and the onus is on the BCCI to make better schedules to avoid the “mistakes” committed during the ongoing T20 World Cup.

India failed to make it to the semifinals of the ICC event, paying heavily for the back-to-back early losses in the Super 12 stage. New Zealand clinched the last available semifinal spot on Sunday to knock Virat Kohli and Co. out of the tournament.

“When players prioritise IPL over playing for the country, what can we say? Players should take pride in playing for their nation. I don’t know their financial condition so can’t say much,” the 62-year-old former captain told ABP News.”…I feel that first in line should be the country’s team and then franchises. The responsibility is now on the BCCI to plan its cricket better,” he added. — PTI