Former Indian captain Kapil Dev has rated Ravindra Jadeja above England captain Ben Stokes as an all-rounder. His remarks come after Jaddu’s impactful performance with both bat and ball that saved India from a loss at Old Trafford, Manchester in IND vs ENG 4th Test. Kapil Dev also claimed that he never thought ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah would last for such a long time and lavished praise on the veteran.
Jadeja > Stokes
Kapil claimed that while he did not want to compare Stokes to Jadeja, the latter was way ahead of the former in terms of performance. Both the all-rounders have made their presence felt in the ongoing IND vs ENG series with performances with both ball and bat. Jadeja has amassed 454 runs in 8 innings, including five consecutive half-centuries, and 7 wickets. Meanwhile, Stokes has 304 runs and 17 wickets to his name so far in the series.
“I don’t want to compare. Stokes is a good all-rounder, but I still feel Jadeja is ahead. He is performing far better,” Kapil Dev said at a PGTI event on Saturday.
“Never thought Bumrah will…”
Speaking on Jasprit Bumrah, Kapil Dev admitted that he never thought Bumrha would last for such a long time, noting that he was India’s finest bowlers. The former captain opined that the speedster should never retire while also noting that all players had to go one fine day.
“The times have changed; their bodies are different, and they work differently, so it’s hard to judge one person. Yes, he is one of the finest bowlers. We never thought he would play for such a long time because he put so much stress on his body. Still, he is contributing to the team. Hats off to him. As a spectator and a lover of the game, I would say that he shouldn’t retire at all, but everyone has to go one day,” Dev added.
