India cricketing legend Kapil Dev has asked players not to play in the IPL if they feel too much pressure. He responded when asked about the pressures modern players are feeling from too much cricket being played.
With the popularity of T20 cricket and mushrooming T20 leagues everywhere, while the players have gotten the freedom to earn and play as they like, many players have also talked about the pressure of juggling three formats of international cricket as well as playing in domestic leagues.
Even T20 leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL) demand a lot from players, sometimes leading to intense pressure situations as well.
The 1983 World Cup-winning all-rounder spoke at an event named 'Champions of Aakash 2022' program and said that he's seen a lot of complaints about the pressure of playing in the IPL. He went on to ask the players to not play in the IPL if they feel too much pressure.
"I had a passion to play. That was the difference. I would change the subject slightly. I hear a lot on TV these days. People say 'there's pressure, we play IPL, there's a lot of pressure'. I only say one thing, 'don't play'. What is this pressure? I you are passionate, there shouldn't be any pressure," he said in the program.
“These 'American words' have come, be it pressure or depression. I don't understand this. I am a farmer. That's where I have come from. We played for enjoyment and where there's enjoyment, there can't be pressure," he further said.
