Kapil Dev is one of the greatest all-rounders to have ever represented India. He was the first captain to lead India to a World Cup victory in 1983.
The world cup-winning Indian skipper's international cricket career spanned from 1978 to 1994, representing his country in 131 Test and 225 ODI matches.
In a recent interaction, the former Indian skipper stressed the importance of hard work in cricket.
Dev drew a comparison between Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli to make the youngsters aware of what dedication and hard work can do to one's career.
The 'Master Blaster' needs no introduction as he is regarded as the best batter to have ever graced the game. Kapil credited Sachin's zeal for consistently working hard to improve as one of the reasons behind his magnificent career.
On the other hand, Kambli was a renowned name in the 90s after making a blistering start in international cricket. The batter scored a truckload of runs for his team at a young age in the Mumbai circuit.
However, he soon lost his form and faded away from the people's memory. Kambli represented India in 17 Tests and 104 One-Day Internationals, scoring 1084 and 2477 runs, respectively.
"Sometimes, youngsters take up something to impress others. I believe that it is important to love yourself first and bring passion to whatever you like. There are no substitutes for passion, hard work, and commitment. Sachin Tendulkar is the perfect example of talent plus hard work. If you are talented but not hard-working enough, then you can go the Vinod Kambli way. If your destiny is beautiful, why worry about the road ahead," Kapil told Hindustan Times.
Further in the interaction, the Indian legend also walked through his journey in the cricket world. Also, he advised the players to do something that they are passionate about.
"I don't believe in speaking much and I have always been a man of action. I believe that if you are passionate enough, you can achieve anything. While practising as a youngster, I would play for hours and I wouldn't know the difference between day and night. I would wonder why I couldn't carry on playing at night. When you love something, you forget about the time and everything else," the former Indian skipper concluded.