Remembering Kapil Dev the Hero of ’83 World Cup on his Birthday!

The history of Indian cricket is not complete without the golden chapter of the 1983 World Cup, which was won under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. Hailing from Haryana and being one of the best cricketers in India has earned him the name of Haryana Hurricane. He was India's first genuine fast bowler and a wonderful batsman. Kapil was one of the finest captains of the Indian cricket team who had faith in his teammates and was the unifying force. From an official fast bowler to the winning captain of the cricket World Cup, he won the entire nation’s hearts. On his 64th birthday, let’s dive into the unforgettable career of Kapil Dev.

History

Kapil was born as Kapildev Ramlal Nikhanj on 6th January 1959, in Chandigarh, to his mother, Rajkumari, and his father, Ram Lal Nikhanj, who was a teak merchant. Dev did his schooling at DAV School, and then in 1971, he joined Desh Prem Azad for coaching in cricket.

Career

In 1975, Dev made his debut for Haryana against Punjab, taking six wickets and leading Haryana to victory. In total, he took 121 wickets. In the season of 1979-80, Kapil Dev made his maiden century of 193 against Delhi.

He then joined the Indian national cricket team for a 1978-79 Test series against Pakistan. Although his match figures were not spectacular, the Pakistan bowlers were startled by his outswingers. He made the fastest half-century in just 33 balls, but India lost the test series. His maiden century in Test Series was against West Indies, scoring 126 off 124 balls. With his excellent skills as a fast bowler and batsman, he became a natural choice for captain of the Indian cricket team. And so it happened.

In 1983, Kapil Dev succeeded Sunil Gavaskar to become the Indian team captain for the World Cup to be held in England. Dev was assigned as a regular captain for a tour of the West Indies. With Kapil Dev’s 90 runs and 2 wickets and 72 runs by Gavaskar led India to victory against the West Indies. This gave confidence to the Indian team for facing West Indies in the ’83 World Cup.

During the 1983 World Cup, West Indies had their first defeat against India. With another win against Zimbabwe, India lost the next two matches. India had to win against Australia and Zimbabwe to qualify for the semi-finals. During the match of India against Zimbabwe in Turnbridge Wells, Kirmani and Dev scored 126 runs for the 9th wicket, a record unbroken for 27 years. Dev’s final individual score was 175 runs with 138 balls remaining not out. India won this match by 31 runs. After winning the semi-finals against England, India faced West Indies, two-time World Cup winners, in the finals.

During the final match, Viv Richards from West Indies was at strike, and he hit the ball aggressively, which Dev caught at deep square leg. This is considered to be the turning point for the match. The West Indies team was all out after making 140 runs, and India won their maiden World Cup. During the match, Dev saved the team countless times with this bowling and batting, so his fans and teammates gave him the name “Hurricane Haryana.”

He was reappointed the captain in 1985 and during the World Cup of 1987. India did reach the semi-final against England but lost the match.

After retiring from cricket in 1994, Dev was appointed as the coach of the Indian cricket team in 1999.

Since his journey from cricket ended, he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Territorial Army. He has also made cameos in several Bollywood films such as Iqbal, Chain Khuli ki Main Khuli, and many more. He also appeared in Kabir Khan’s 83, a film about India’s historic first world cup victory.

Records in His Name

• Here are some of the records Kapil Dev has made during his unforgettable career in cricket:
• He made 1000 runs and took 50 wickets and 50 catches in test matches and ODIs.
• Most wickets in a calendar year, 75 wickets in 18 test matches.
• He is the first Indian to take 5 wickets in an inning.
• At the age of 21, he became the youngest player to do the double of 100 wickets and 1000 runs.

Awards

India will never forget the legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, who gave the nation the first ever World Cup. He is the greatest all-rounder in India who had so many records to his name. Giftalove wishes him a very happy birthday, and may his future always be happy.