New Delhi: Kapil Dev, on Saturday, conceded that the form slump of openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir is a big worry for the team ahead of the twin Test series against England and Australia.

“It is worrying if players of that calibre don’t get runs. They have big reputations and when you have such big reputations then you should know how to defend that,” Kapil said, on the sidelines of the Junior National Tennis Championships where he was chief guest for the finals.

“They are big players and it is important for them to score runs not only for the team but also for themselves otherwise there will be worrying signs,” he added.

Both Gambhir and Sehwag struggled at the recent World Twenty20 Championships but remain India’s best opening option ahead of the upcoming home series against England next month and Australia which will come here in February-March. Kapil said the general expectation from Mahendra Singh Dhoni the captain are much more than what one should have.

“You can’t expect him to win all the time. He has given you World Cup, World T20, won Test matches, been number one in ICC rankings, so you can’t expect him to win every time,” Kapil said.

Kapil tried to put things in perspective when asked about the concept of multiple captains being tried out in India.