Kapil Dev, Azhar and Unmukt Chand: Cricket, Cricket and Cricket

Former Indian skipper Kapil Dev at the session - A New Innings: Building Tomorrow's Team - of the India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit 2012 at Sri Fort in New Delhi on September 7, 2012.

While admitting to the vociferous denial of the crowd that he was advanced in age at a sprightly 54 years, Kapil Dev lauded today's youth for having, "one thousand times more energy."

Next to address the summit was former Indian skipper and Congress MP Mohammad Azharuddin, who began his speech by congratulating the U-19 World Cup winning team led by skipper Unmukt Chand.

Azharuddin said Test cricket was still the most puritan format since, "Test cricket is the true test of a cricketer." However, he feared that if things continued this way, cricket might even end up with a 10-over format.

Mohammad Azharuddin at the India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit 2012 in New Delhi.

Under-19 cricket World Cup winning captain Unmukt Chand was greeted with loud cheers when he came on the stage. Unmukt was visibly proud to have the opportunity to share the stage with two of his heroes for the first time.

Speaking frankly, as he always does, Kapil Dev pointed to the glory of cricket's original format. "There is no big cricket like Test cricket. Today's youth does not have time for five days of cricket," referring to the Unmukt Chand's inexperience beyond a 4 day format.

Mohammad Azharuddin cited the lack of facilities and professional coaches in his own time that the cricketers of today enjoy. These facilities, he felt, give the youngsters greater chances to improve and grow at a more rapid pace.

Meanwhile, Unmukt Chand credited his success to the IPL but added that he would love to play all three formats of the game.

Kapil Dev, Mohammad Azharuddin and Unmukt Chand with Rahul Kanwal, Managing Editor, Headlines Today, during the session - A New Innings: Building Tomorrow's Team - of the India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit 2012.

As soon as all three finished their addresses, the backroom antics of the three were revealed to the audience. According to Headlines Today's Rahul Kanwal, Kapil Dev had been scolding Chand for half an hour after he learned that Chand had left his Bangalore training camp, where he had a match facing Sachin Tendulkar the next day, to attend the conference. "If I was your manager I would not have done it for a million dollars. But today's youth is different, they can do anything."

Kapil Dev's presence was the focal point of the session. Voices could be overheard remarking on his lack of hesitation, his flat-out honesty, his fearlessness in expressing his opinion. When a particularly stout-hearted member of the audience asked him how he had managed to retain this magnetic magic for so many years he said, "You have to be honest and after a period of time your opinion becomes a personality. If you want to be bigger you must know your own opinion."

Kapil Dev, Mohammad Azharuddin and Unmukt Chand during the session - A New Innings: Building Tomorrow's Team - of the India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit 2012 at Sri Fort in New Delhi on September 7.