Big backlash against Kapil Dev's views on mental health but it's not all one-way traffic 

Legendary former Indian Cricket team captain Kapil Dev has divided the internet after his remarks on the mental strain faced by athletes during big tournaments. While recently on the show named 'Chat with Champions’, the first-ever World Cup-winning Indian captain said that he does not understand the terms "pressure" and "depression" and that they are "American words". He even advised young players not to play if they complain about being stressed. 

His comments have left netizens polarised, as many are expressing their disappointment in Kapil Dev for undermining mental health whereas others are quoting him and calling his statements "gold". 

Kapil Dev's statements prompt mixed reactions 

"Kapil Dev dismissing depression like it doesn’t exist is one thing. The crowd cheering and laughing speaks volumes of this country’s understanding of mental health. It’s the same people who say, “It’s just in your head", one disappointed user wrote on Twitter while resharing the former Indian captain's speech. 

"This is just horrible. And look at all those boomers, cheering and clapping as Kapil Dev makes light of mental health issues, or the idea of pressure on school children", wrote another. One user said that he is "trying to undermine mental health issues" when one cannot "get rid of the issues by denying it".

On the flip side, Kapil Dev also received praise from some of his fans as one said that the former's advice is "applicable for any profession". "That's why I love former players like kapil dev and sehwag , they have the guts to speak out the truth", another user said.

"Kapil Dev is not wrong. Most of the Indian cricket team members lack passion. They are busy making friends on the field instead of focusing on their game. Losing a game is fine but losing intent and passion will only strip down respect for your game", said another on Twitter. 

While criticising the former cricketer, Virat Kohli's admission of mental stress also sprang up as he once admitted to feeling "mentally down". "But we don't speak because we're hesitant, we don't wanna be looked at as mentally weak or weak people", Kohli had said. "Trust me, faking to be strong is far worse than admitting to be weak".