India great Kapil Dev accused the country’s cricketers of prioritising the cash-rich IPL over national duty, after the pre-tournament favourites were dumped out of the T20 World Cup.

“When the players prefer to play IPL over playing for the country, what can we say? I believe that every player should feel proud playing for their country,” Dev, who led India to a World Cup victory in 1983, told ABP News.

“I believe that your national team should come first and after that franchise or any other team.”

India this past Sunday crashed out of the T20 World Cup after New Zealand beat Afghanistan to book the second semi-final berth from Group 2.

Virat Kohli’s side thrashed Afghanistan and Scotland but it was too late after losing heavily to arch-rivals Pakistan and to New Zealand.

In the buildup, India regrouped just two days after the IPL ended on 15 October in Dubai, adding to the time that the players spent in draining Covid-19 bubble conditions.

“I am not saying don’t play cricket there [for franchises] but it is now BCCI’s responsibility to plan their cricket [schedule] better for the future,” the 62-year-old Dev said of the Indian cricket board.

“What we can learn from this defeat is to not repeat the mistakes that have been made. This is the biggest lesson.”

© Agence France-Presse