• Friday, March 29, 2024

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India’s first cricket World Cup victory remembered on 39th anniversary: ‘A future cricket super power was born’

Captain of the 1983 World Cup winning Indian cricket team Kapil Dev (3R) speaks next to teammates during the launch of newest edition of The 1983 World Cup Opus in Gurgaon on June 25, 2021. (Photo by Prakash SINGH / AFP) (Photo by PRAKASH SINGH/AFP via Getty Images)

By: Shubham Ghosh

IT was also June 25, almost four decades ago. An Indian team, not given much weightage, beat all odds and a mighty West Indies to win the country’s first-ever World Cup. It was a watershed moment in the history of the sport in the country where it has become a religion today. ‘Kapil’s Devils’, as they were called, scripted a golden history at Lord’s, the Mecca of cricket, in 1983.

Thirty-nine years later, Indian fans recalled the day and the social media was flooded with love, affection and nostalgia. Former India players such as Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, who were part of the Indian team which won the crown for the second time in 2011, also recalled the event.

India, who went to the tournament as an underdog, went on to beat the Caribbeans twice, including the final by 43 runs, to emerge as the new champions. This year, a Bollywood film by the name of ‘83’ was released to revisit the times with Ranveer Singh portraying the role of captain Kapil Dev, arguably the best all-rounder India has produced. However, one of the ‘devils’ — Yashpal Sharma — who was one of the best batters in the Indian team in that World Cup, passed away last year.

Tendulkar revisited the past saying, “Some moments in life inspire you & make you dream. On this day in 1983, we won the World Cup 🏆 for the first time. I knew right then, that’s what I wanted to do too!🏏”

He also posted pictures of Kapil lifting the World Cup at the iconic balcony at Lord’s and the boy with curly hairs who played him in the film ‘83’. According to Tendulkar, the victory of 1983 had fuelled in him such a passion for the game that he became a determined cricketer in later years.

Sehwag said in a tweet, “Date mein kya rakha hai (what is in a date)? Well, 25th June, is date mein shuruaat rakhi hai (the date 25th June marked the beginning). It is a day on which India began it’s journey-in 1932 playing it’s first ever Test & 51 years later on 25th June 1983, Kapil Paaji & his boys winning the World Cup,which was a beginning for many cricketers”

VVS Laxman, another former India batter, tweeted, “Today in 1983 was when every Indian got the feeling that dreams can be brought to reality! A moment that will make us proud always! I, like many others was inspired by this win and started dreaming of representing the country someday.”

The Indian cricket board tweeted, “A historic day & a landmark moment for Indian cricket as #TeamIndia, led by @therealkapildev, clinched the World Cup title. 🏆 👏”

The International Cricket Council also recalled the event, tweeting with a picture of Kapil Dev and his deputy Mohinder Amarnath with the cup, “On this day in 1983, Kapil Dev’s team stunned the world by beating the mighty West Indies to lift the @CricketWorldCup🏆”

Journalist Ayaz Memon posted saying he caught up with Kapil Dev who was in Mumbai to launch the 1983 World Cup Opus — 1 700-page, 25 kilogram book on the memorable cricketing victory.

Fans also recalled the day with posts and pictures:

One user said, “A future cricket super power was born”.

 

 

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