Kapil Dev calls Imran Khan ’friend’, demands best treatment

Legendary Indian cricketer Kapil Dev has expressed concern over the health of former Pakistani Prime Minister and 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan, who is in jail. He called on Imran to be provided with the highest quality medical treatment, calling him his "friend".

Former cricket captains have already raised concerns with the Pakistani government over Imran's treatment. There have been reports that he has almost completely lost vision in one eye, as well as allegations of medical negligence.

Kapil Dev spoke about Imran at the inauguration of PGTI's 'Race to DP World India Championship' on Monday. He said that they have played cricket with Imran and have respect for his extraordinary cricketing talent. Even if they are not aware of Pakistan's internal laws, a prisoner should be ensured basic human rights and necessary facilities.

According to Kapil, Imran is not only the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, but also one of the best cricketers in the world. Therefore, the main demand is to provide him with proper medical treatment.

Regarding Imran's treatment, Kapil said, "We want him to get the best treatment. We are not asking for anything else, we are not asking for any answers. We are just requesting."

When asked why current Pakistani cricketers are not speaking out in support of Imran, Kapil refused to criticize them. According to him, current cricketers have to live and continue their careers in Pakistan. Therefore, their situation also needs to be taken into consideration.

Former 22 international captains wrote a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the second time on Sunday expressing concern over Imran's treatment. The signatories of the letter include Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Clive Lloyd, Arjuna Ranatunga, Allan Border, David Gower, Steve Waugh and John Wright. The initiative was taken by former Australian captain Greg Chappell.

Earlier, in February 2026, 14 former captains had written to the Pakistani government for the first time regarding Imran's treatment. Imran Khan served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022. After losing power, he has been in prison for a long time after being convicted in corruption and other cases.

Imran was recently taken to a government hospital for a medical examination. After the examination, the doctors declared him physically fit and sent him back to Adiala Jail. However, his family and lawyers have questioned the medical examination process.

The former captains' letter also claims that Imran's stay in the hospital was only a few hours. Instead of the court-ordered medical board, a state-formed team examined him and declared him healthy. However, Imran's family and legal team claim that the court-ordered medical board had not yet completed his examination.

In this situation, the statements of former cricket stars including Kapil Dev have further strengthened the demand to ensure Imran's medical treatment and human rights.