“Spoke like a true Indian uncle” - Twitterati lash out at Kapil Dev over his comments on depression and pressure

Former India captain Kapil Dev has made a blunt remark, stating that players should not play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) if they feel a lot of pressure.

The Indian legend made the statement at a recent event when asked about his thoughts on the amount of pressure that modern-day players face.

Speaking at the event, Kapil commented:

"I hear a lot of times on TV that there's a lot of pressure on players to play in the IPL. Then I only say one thing, don't play. If a player has passion, there will be no pressure. I can't understand these American terms, like depression. I'm a farmer and we play because we enjoy the game, and there can't be any pressure while enjoying the game.”

Mental health and depression have been a topic of massive debate in international cricket over the last couple of years, with some players even deciding to sacrifice one format to lengthen their careers. In the wake of the same, the Twitterati were not impressed with Kapil’s views on depression and mental health with regard to current cricketers.

A few users did support the Indian legend, stating that his views were being misinterpreted, but the majority of fans lashed out at the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper.

Here is a compilation of reactions from social media to Kapil’s views:

When Virat Kohli opened up about his mental battles

Significantly, one of the biggest names in international cricket, Virat Kohli, recently admitted that he also went through a tough mental battle during his down phase.

Speaking to Star Sports, he had said:

"For the first time in 10 years, I didn't touch my bat for a month. When I sat down and thought about it I was like, 'wow, I haven't touched a bat for like 30 days'. I haven't ever done that in my life.

"I came to the realization that I was trying to fake my intensity a bit recently. I was convincing myself that no, you had the intensity. But your body is telling you to stop. Your mind is telling me to take a break and step back.”

After a short break from the game, Kohli returned to international cricket during the Asia Cup and amassed 276 runs in five matches at an average of 92.