Former India captain Kapil Dev admitted he was surprised by Virat Kohli's "we were not brave enough" comment after the defeat to New Zealand in the Super 12 fixture of the ongoing T20 World Cup on Sunday. New Zealand thrashed India by 8 wickets at the Dubai International Stadium, handing the Men in Blue their second defeat in as many matches. After the match, Virat was asked to reflect on the defeat to the Blackcaps, to which he said: "Quite bizarre. To be very honest and brutal up front, I don't think we were brave enough with bat or ball."
During a discussion on ABP News, Kapil Dev reacted to Kohli's comment, saying: "Obviously, it's a very weak statement from a player of Virat Kohli's stature. We all know that he has the hunger and desire to win games for the team. But, if the body language of the team and thought process of the captain is not up to the mark, it's very difficult to lift the mood of the players inside the dressing room. "He is a fighter. I think he got lost in the moment or something. A captain should not say words like ‘we were not brave enough’. You are playing for your country and he has the passion. But when you say such words, fingers will definitely be pointed. "The loss sees India’s hopes of reaching the semi-final hang by a thread, as two defeats in the first two matches has not only pushed India to fifth in the group, but also dented their net run rate. Team India now have an outside chance of qualifying for the semis. They will have to win their remaining games and hope that the other results go in their way. India's top order completely crumbled on Sunday as the team could manage a score of 110/7 in 20 overs in the face of some quality bowling by the New Zealand seamers.
