‘They play too many T20Is and ODIs’ – World Cup-winning captain opens up on India’s spin struggles

‘They play too many T20Is and ODIs’ – World Cup-winning captain opens up on India’s spin struggles (Photo source: Simon Hofmann/Getty Images for Laureus)

India have suffered significant Test series defeats at home in recent times. The team lost 0-3 to New Zealand and 0-2 to South Africa in back-to-back home series, marking a difficult period for the side in the longest format.

Kapil Dev, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain, has offered his perspective on the reasons behind these struggles. Speaking on the subject, Dev attributed India’s recent difficulties against spin bowling to the volume of white-ball cricket in the international schedule.

“India recently have not been at their best against spin bowling because they play too many T20s and One-Dayers. Test cricket is a different ball game but I hope they can put their head together and play better in Sri Lanka,” Kapil said as quoted by Times of India.

India face a two-Test series against Sri Lanka beginning August 15, 2026, in Galle, where spin-friendly conditions are expected to present another challenge for the visiting side.

Kapil Dev emphasised the importance of domestic cricket in developing players’ skills against spin. He pointed to the limited participation of top players in domestic matches as a key factor in India’s struggles in this area.

“Playing domestic cricket is very important. The reason why Indian teams struggle against spin is that the top players don’t play enough domestic cricket. That’s where the BCCI should put its foot down and make everyone play three-day and four-day matches. The other aspect is that the younger generation will get to learn from top players in domestic cricket,” Kapil said.

Why India are struggling against spin bowling

Beyond spin bowling, Kapil raised concerns about the overall workload placed on fast bowlers in the international schedule. He stressed the need for the BCCI to carefully manage the physical demands on pace bowlers.

“One should know about one’s own body. There is too much T20 and ODI cricket happening, so you have to be careful about the toll it takes on the body. Our body is actually not tuned to being a fast bowler. Our body is more tuned to being a batsman. The BCCI should look into how much workload to give fast bowlers,” Kapil said.