As fans eagerly await the outcome of another high-voltage T20 World Cup – India vs Pakistan match, we look back upon a powerful reminder from Indian cricketing legend, Kapil Dev – “The hunger to win must not die, the appetite has to remain big.”
With the match underway at Colombo’s R. Premadasa International Stadium, Kapil Dev’s words cut through the noise of hype and rivalry. Sports, or any matches of cricket are never about just about skill – they are also about temperament, belief and hunger.
Catch the India vs Pakistan latest match updates here
The winner of the match between India and Pakistan on Sunday will become the first team from Group A to qualify for the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup.
What Kapil Dev’s quote means?
Kapil Dev’s message is simple but profound: success can quietly dull ambition if the ‘appetite’ to achieve more begins to fade. Winning once is an achievement; staying hungry after success is what creates champions.
“The hunger to win must not die” suggests that complacency is the biggest threat to any team. When a team, or one begins to rely only on past glory, the team risks losing the sharpness that made successful in the first place.
The “appetite” Kapil Dev speaks of, goes beyond scoring runs or taking wickets in a cricket match, or hunger for victory in any sports. It is about intensity, discipline, preparation and maintaining a mental edge — in sport and in life.
India’s track record in Men’s T20 World Cup against Pakistan
Since the inception of T20 World Cup in 2007, India has largely dominated Pakistan on the tournament’s biggest stage, with seven wins and one defeat:
