‘Why Are Wives on Tour for So Long?’ – Kapil Dev Takes a Dig at Indian Cricketers

Former India captain Kapil Dev has voiced his concerns over the extended presence of wives and girlfriends (WAGS) of Indian cricketers during overseas tours. While he acknowledged that having family around is not wrong, he stressed that players should initially spend time bonding as a team.

Speaking on YouTube channel Cricket Adda, Kapil suggested that WAGS should not accompany players in the early stages of a series.

“Taking your wives on tours is not wrong, but if the tour is for a month, they should not be allowed for the first 20 days so that the players can play together as a team,” Kapil said.

“Similarly, for a three-month campaign, at least for a month, players should be left alone with the team. Also, teams should travel together. This is not an individual sport,” he added, indirectly criticizing individual players who join the squad separately rather than traveling together.

Kapil Dev’s Comments After India’s BGT 2024-25 Failure

The discussion about WAGS came after India’s disappointing 1-3 series loss against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. The defeat also meant that India failed to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the first time.

Kapil further questioned the commitment of senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who returned to play domestic cricket only after the team’s poor showing in Australia.

“Whether they score runs or not, you have to score runs in domestic cricket. Strong measures have to be taken. But my point is, had we won or had Rohit or Kohli scored runs, would they have played the Ranji Trophy?” Kapil questioned.

He emphasized the importance of strengthening the domestic cricket structure and ensuring that all players, irrespective of their stature, stay involved in it.

“Don’t look at the performances, make the system strong. Whether you score zero or lakhs of runs, play cricket by staying within the system,” he added.

Kapil Dev’s remarks have once again sparked debate about the balance between family support and professional focus, as well as the role of senior players in India’s domestic cricket setup.