At the launch of Better Never Stops, Kapil Dev champions reading, self-belief, honesty, and continuous personal growth.
I am very happy to be here in Chennai. Every time I come to this city, I feel certain warmth. People here have always shown love, respect and affection, not just for cricket, but for anyone who has tried to do something sincerely in life. That is something I value deeply.
Today, we are here for the launch of Better Never Stops, written by Shyam Srinivasan. When somebody writes a book, it means they have taken time to reflect, to think, to remember, and to share. Writing a book is not easy. It requires honesty. It requires discipline. More than anything, it requires the courage to put your thoughts in front of people.
But I also want to say something very simple. What is the use of writing a book if people do not read? Somewhere, we have started moving away from reading. We all have phones in our hands. We keep looking at messages, videos and quick information. But reading is different. Reading makes you sit quietly. It makes you think. It gives your mind time to absorb.
I feel we must go back to basics. We must bring back the habit of reading. I am not saying everyone should read 50 pages every day. Start small. Read two pages. Why two pages? Because that may be all I can read comfortably! But even two pages are enough if you read them with attention. Slowly, it becomes a habit. And once a habit is formed, it can change the way we think.’
In life, we often make things too complicated. We look for big answers, big success, big recognition. But many times, the answer is very basic. Read a little. Think a little. Work honestly. Enjoy what you are doing. These things sound simple, but they are powerful.
People often ask me about cricket, success and playing for India. I will be very honest. When I first picked up a bat and ball, I never imagined that one day I would play for India. I did not start by thinking about records, fame or the country. I started because I enjoyed the game.
I played for myself first. That may sound unusual, but it is the truth. I played because cricket gave me happiness. I played because I loved being on the field. Later, people enjoyed watching me play. That gave me more happiness. But the beginning was simple: I enjoyed what I was doing.
I was not very good in the classroom. Studies were difficult for me. Sitting in class was not something I enjoyed. Sport gave me freedom. Football gave me some time away from the classroom. Cricket gave me much more time, and naturally I liked it even more! That is how my relationship with cricket began.
When you enjoy something, you give yourself fully to it. You do not need someone to push you every day. You do not need someone to remind you to practice. Your own interest becomes your teacher. Your own joy becomes your discipline.
That is one lesson I would like young people and professionals to remember. Do not choose something only because others will clap for you. Do not do something only because it looks impressive from outside. Find what gives you energy. Find what makes you feel alive. If you are honest with yourself, you will know where your real interest lies.
At the same time, enjoyment alone is not enough. You must also work hard. You must respect the basics. In cricket, you cannot forget the basics. You may become famous, you may play in big stadiums, but you still have to watch the ball, move your feet, bowl in the right areas, and stay fit. The fundamentals never leave you.
The same is true in business, leadership and life. A leader may handle large teams, big responsibilities and major decisions. But the basics remain the same: be honest, listen carefully, work with discipline, respect people, and keep learning. If you forget the basics, success will not stay for long.
I believe honesty is very important. When you write a book, speak on a stage, lead a company, play a sport, or make a decision, you must be honest with yourself first. You cannot make everyone happy. If you try to please everybody, you may lose your own truth. But if you are honest, people may not always agree with you, but they will respect you.
Shyam Srinivasan’s book is called Better Never Stops. I like that thought. Improvement should never stop. But improvement does not always mean doing something dramatic. Sometimes improvement means reading two pages instead of none. Sometimes it means accepting a mistake. Sometimes it means going back to basics. Sometimes it means doing your work with a little more sincerity than yesterday.
In my own life, cricket taught me many things. It taught me courage. It taught me failure. It taught me teamwork. It taught me that no one wins alone. Even when one person is praised, there are always many others behind that success. A team succeeds when people trust each other and when each person does their job with commitment.
But before a team can trust you, you must trust yourself. And to trust yourself, you must know yourself. That is why honesty matters. Do not pretend to be someone else. Do not live only by comparison. Your journey is your own.
If I have to leave one thought with you, it is this: keep life simple. Read. Learn. Enjoy your work. Respect the basics. Be honest with yourself. Do not worry too much about making everyone happy. Do what you do with sincerity, and let people take from it what they will.
Success is not only about trophies, titles or applause. Success is also about whether you enjoyed the journey, whether you stayed true to yourself, and whether you kept becoming better.
Better should never stop. But better begins with the basics.
