NEW DELHI: Legendary Kapil Dev has at all times been a passionate advocate for sports activities, and through the years, Golf has turn out to be one of his closest companions.
Reflecting on his love story with golf, Kapil, replying to a query raised by TimesofIndia.com, candidly shared that had he played golf alongside crickethe believes it could have sharpened his focus, doubtlessly including 2,000 extra runs to his cricketing tally.”If you play golf, you understand,” Kapil remarked on the launch of the Vishwa Samudra Open on Monday afternoon. “I thought cricketers were mad. In the evening, they only talk about cricketers. A golfer is a thousand times madder than a cricketer. They lie in bed at night thinking, ‘I should have played that shot better, I missed that putt. ‘”
Kapil’s comparability between golf and cricket shines a lightweight on the psychological focus required for each sports activities. He defined that while golf could appear simpler if you step onto the course, it might probably typically result in shocking outcomes.
“That’s the beauty of this game – even when you’re sleeping, you’re thinking, ‘If only that putt had gone in, it would have been so much fun.’ I think it’s really fascinating. When you first step onto a golf course, you feel like you’ll play 10-12 under par, but when you finish, you’re usually 10-12 over par. The body doesn’t always respond the same way,” he shared with amusing.
Opening up about how golf might have influenced his cricketing profession, Kapil stated, “I am not saying that I have played cricket to the highest level. But I wish I’d played golf while playing cricket. I would’ve 2000 runs extra in cricket because this game will teach you how to concentrate so hard for every ball.”
Kapil’s remarks come at a time when he isn’t solely sharing his love for golf but additionally actively selling the game in India.
As the president of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), he introduced the launch of the Vishwa Samudra Open, which can happen on the Delhi Golf Club from December 10-13, 2024, with a prize purse of INR 2 crore.
On the sphere of cricket, Kapil Dev boasts a outstanding profession, having played 131 Tests and 225 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for India between 1978 and 1994. With 5,248 runs in Tests, 434 wickets, and three,783 runs in ODIs, he’s thought-about one of cricket’s most interesting all-rounders.
Most notably, Kapil led India to its first-ever World Cup victory in 1983, a historic second that modified the trajectory of Indian cricket eternally.
