The world cup is the most prestigious competition for any game. India in the cricket World Cup has gone through several highs and lows. We know that Kapil Dev’s conviction was the sole reason we won our first World Cup. Winning cricket’s premier tournament takes a lot of hard work and dedication.
Imagine yourself in the shoes of Kapil Dev and you will know what we are talking about,
Your nation hasn’t won a single match in the previous two World Cups, you’re designated captain just a few months before the tournament, and your teammates are so sure they’ll crash out early that they’ve booked vacation tickets and to top it all you’re just 24 years old.
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It takes a lot of courage to stand up and declare, “We’re going to win this one.”
Remembering Kapil Dev’s famous 175-run innings
When it comes to form and demeanor, it would be negligent not to remember Kapil Dev’s famous 175-run innings against Zimbabwe in the World Cup’s 20th match in 1983. His effort not only paved the door for India’s first triumph in the competition but also revolutionized the perception of one-day internationals in India.
It’s also noteworthy that the match was not being aired since the equipment had been allocated to shoot the other match between West Indies and Australia which was considered more important, and the BBC was on strike on that day.
Now let’s get back to Kapil’s historic innings
Kapil Dev was having a shower after winning the toss and electing to bat first. He had completed his duties for the first quarter of the match. Decisions had been made, and now it was time to cool off before taking the field.
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According to a legend, Kapil heard a knock on the door while showering. Someone had come to tell him that India had lost a few wickets before reaching the 2-figure-mark.
He must have hurried, but so did the batsmen, for there was another dismissal followed by another dismissal. We were already four behind despite the fact that the scoreboard had not yet reached double digits. That’s when Kapil Dev entered.
On that crucial day when the universe was putting his patience to the test, Kapil had other ideas.
He’d only just settled in and smashed a couple of strokes when another wicket fell, and the Indian team was down to 17 players with nearly half the squad in the pavilion.
Meanwhile, the organisers appeared to be dealing with a different issue. They were worried that a lot of food had been prepared for such a short contest. What if both innings were completed before lunch?
Score by Kapil’s teammates
Roger Binny came in as the 6th batsman and gave the side some solidity but was dismissed after scoring 22. Ravi Shastri was the next player to be knocked out after scoring 78-7.
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That was India’s score when the last two batsmen, Madan Lal and Syed Kirmani, were informed (or realized) that their only task now was to stay and let the captain do his thing.
The 60-over ODI days
Those were the days of 60-over ODIs, and the lunch was served after 35 overs, much to the relief of the organizers. None of the comrades had the bravery to confront Kapil. It must have felt like sitting in the same room with your parents after a particularly bad exam except that your parents don’t go ahead and take the test on your behalf to save your ass.
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Kapil’s winning score made history for Indian cricket
Kapil scored 175* in the end, and India’s innings concluded with 266 runs. We won the match by 31 runs thanks to the bowlers, particularly Madan Lal, who got three wickets on the day.
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It’s a shame that there is no video capture of what is possibly the greatest ODI innings in Indian cricket history because some people thought the match wouldn’t be good enough.
They had no idea that the match would go down in history as one of the best in World Cup history, and that the winner of the match they speculated, West Indies, would lose in the final to India.
You don’t always need video footage to remember an outstanding performance
That day, Kapil Dev regained our pride and our spot in the competition. And the fact that his innings is still vivid in the minds of Indian cricket fans despite the lack of video evidence illustrates that you don’t always have to see something to believe it.
Bollywood movie 83 on the India national cricket team winning the 1983 Cricket World Cup led by Kapil Dev
The movie 83 was released in 2021 to honour the winning Indian team and Captain Kapil Dev for their contribution to bringing home the World Cup. The movie features Ranveer Singh as the lead who plays Kapil Dev in the film.
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On paper, it sounds impossible that a team that went from 17/5 to 266/8 can also win the tournament. But a 24-year-old man nearly single-handedly achieved it, and when people talk about commitment and cricket, they always bring up the ’20th match from the Prudential World Cup 1983.’
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