8 Interesting Stories From The 1983 World Cup That Changed Indian Cricket

If you ask any cricket fan to name India’s best one-day international (ODI) performance, you’ll get a lot of different replies. And it will change according to the age groups and their preferences.

Many will recall the 1983 World Cup final, while others will recall the 2011 World Cup win, some will recall the clinical annihilation of the competition in the 1985 World Cup, and a few will recall that incredible day in Sharjah in 1985 when India defended 126 against Pakistan.

But maybe the most significant victory of all occurred nearly 40 years ago at Lords. India stunned the world champions, the world, and possibly even themselves on March 29, 1983.

When a bunch of young Indian cricket players boarded a plane to England in 1983, they were lighthearted and unaware of what destiny had in mind for them. Except for one 24-year-old who had some ideas, they were laughing and joking amongst themselves. “What if we try to win?” he wondered. As is often the case, a single notion changed the course of history.

India was proclaimed World Cup winner for the first time after a historic victory over the famous West Indies, and nothing was ever the same after that. Once dubbed as an underdog contender now enjoys one-sided domination that will undoubtedly persist for a long time.

That’s all because of that surprise victory, which gives all Indians faith that we can achieve anything with our determination.

Here are some of the tournament’s lesser-known stories, each as improbable as it is fascinating:

1. According to reports, the team that flew to England for the World Cup did not have a coach, nor did it have a doctor or a physiotherapist.

However, it did have a manager, and his name was PR Man Singh. In the film 83, Pankaj Tripathi will portray him.

2. The BCCI sought to thank the players after the team won the World Cup. However, it lacked the financial means to do so.

That’s when Lata Mangeshkar was asked for a performance, which must have been a big success because enough money was gathered to compensate every one of the players with a sum of one lakh rupees. That would still be a significant sum, so one can imagine how much it meant to the squad at the time.

3. It was meant to be a ‘stopover tournament’ for several members of the squad, who had purchased tickets to the United States and had the BCCI pay for their travel till England. Nobody expected them to make it very far in the competition, let alone win it.

The US trip was supposed to be Krishnamachari Srikkanth’s honeymoon, and he still jokes that Kapil Dev owes him ₹10,000 in lost tickets because he had to cancel them.

4. Balwinder Sandhu received custom-made visiting cards with a picture of stumps uprooted and in the air, as well as a batsman in front, for dismissing Gordon Greenidge in the final.

If there was 1 ball that changed world cricket, this was the one. Not Bradman’s last dismissal, not Misbah’s paddle sweep, not Warne’s ball of the century.
Greenidge shouldering arms to Balwinder Sandhu. India going on to win the World Cup. And cricket just taking off on in India pic.twitter.com/cikIpNh28k

— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) June 25, 2020

5. After our triumph, you’ve all seen photographs of the Indian fans pounding on the ground. They were, after all, a part of the festivities. From Lord’s balcony, the players handed champagne to the fans, and they plainly ran out at one point.

As a result, they began distributing out milk bottles. This isn’t a joke.

6. The history of PR Man Singh, the team’s lone administrative representative, is extremely touching.

No one expected the men to win a single match when they left for the World Cup. Except for Man Singh’s father, who told his workers to take out a cabinet in their business and remarked,

“Mera beta cup leke aayega.”

7. The Indian cricket team ran into some issues at the airport due to extra luggage. They were hauling mangoes or spices for their relatives in London, so I’m guessing it wasn’t because of equipment or anything.

They were told they wouldn’t be able to board unless they made the necessary fees. The crew travelled to its destination with the promise of payment the next day.

8. The equipment was sent out to cover the “more important” West Indies versus Australia match, and the BBC was on strike that day, therefore Kapil Dev’s record 175 against Zimbabwe was not telecast.

While we are disappointed that there is no visual evidence of the legendary innings, Kapil is pleased that he actually lived that moment.