Tendulkar won't retire unless he wins World Cup: Kapil

New Delhi: At 37, Sachin Tendulkar is definitely at the twilight of his career but the former India captain Kapil Dev thinks otherwise as he feels the champion batsman will carry on to play another World Cup unless India lay its hands on next year's quadrennial event.

Kapil, India's only World Cup winning skipper, said that if not for injury, Tendulkar will be a great asset to the Indian team in the mega-event.

"I feel talking about Sachin (Tendulkar) is an insult to him. He is such an important personal not only for India but for the world cricket. His performance gives strength to the team. He brings in abundance of experience in the team," Kapil said during a promotional event for the 2011 World Cup on Thursday.

World Cup 2011

"Sachin is one player who brings crowd on to the ground. People say it is his last World Cup but I don't believe in this. We might see him play the next World Cup also. I feel until and unless he wins the trophy, he won't go," added India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain.

Since making his debut way back in 1989, Tendulkar has so far featured in five World Cups for India but the trophy has eluded him on all occasions with the closest being a runners-up finish in the 2003 edition of the tournament in South Africa.

And with age not on Tendulkar's side, next year's mega-event in the sub-continent might be his last World Cup. And legendary West Indian Sir Vivian Richards said that the World Cup trophy would be the fitting farewell to the iconic batsman.

"That (the World Cup trophy) would be the icing on the cake for the man (Tendulkar)," Richards said.