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Kapil Dev - The man who made India believe

"Kapil was a right-arm pace bowler noted for his graceful action and potent outswinger, and was India's main strike bowler through most of his career. He also developed a fine inswinging yorker during the 1980s which he used very effectively against tail-enders. As a batsman he was a natural striker of the ball who could hook and drive effectively. A naturally aggressive player, he often helped India in difficult situations by taking the attack to the opposition. He was nicknamed The Haryana Hurricane[3] — he represented the Haryana cricket team in domestic cricket. He retired as India's highest wicket taker in both main formats of the game (Test, as well as ODI) and to date is the only person to take 400 wickets and score more than 5,000 runs in test cricket. On 8 March 2010, Kapil Dev was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame"


Kapil Dev made an impressive debut for Haryana in November 1975 against Punjab with a 6 wicket haul, restricting Punjab to just 63 runs and helping Haryana to victory. Kapil finished the season with 12 wickets in 3 matches

Kapil began his 1977–78 season claiming 8/38 in the first innings against Services. With 3 wickets in the second innings, he took his maiden 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket, a feat he would later achieve twice in Test cricket. With 23 wickets in 4 matches, he was selected for the Irani Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Wills Trophy matches

Haryana: 1990–91 Ranji champions

In the 1990–91 Ranji season, Haryana rode into the semi-finals on the back of the bowling performance of Chetan Sharma and the batting performance of Amarjit Kaypee. Kapil Dev took centre stage in the semi-final against Bengal where he led his team to a mammoth score of 605 runs by scoring 141 as well as taking 5 wickets.

The finals of the 1991 season will be remembered for the number of international cricketers who were part of the match with Kapil Dev, Chetan Sharma, Ajay Jadeja and Vijay Yadav turning up for Haryana and Bombay cricket team represented by Sanjay Manjrekar, Vinod Kambli, Sachin Tendulkar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Chandrakant Pandit, Salil Ankola and Abey Kuruvilla. Deepak Sharma (199), Ajay Jadeja (94) and Chetan Sharma (98) helped Haryana to a score of 522 while Yogendra Bhandari (5 wickets) and Kapil Dev (3 wickets) restricted Bombay to 410 runs in the first innings. A crucial 41 from Kapil and top scorer Banerjee (60) took Haryana to 242 runs, setting Bombay a target of 355 runs. After the initial wickets, Vengsarkar (139) and Tendulkar (96) fought back for the Bombay team. After Tendulkar's dismissal, Haryana took the final 6 wickets for 102 runs and Vengsarkar and Bombay were stranded 3 runs short of the target. Kapil Dev won his maiden and only Ranji Trophy championship


International career

Kapil Dev made his Test cricket debut in Faisalabad, Pakistan on 16 October 1978 and though his match figures were unimpressive, the numbers did not convey any measure of Kapil's contribution in the match. With his speed and bounce, he bought glee to the Indian players when Pakistani batsmen were startled with bouncers that clanged the helmet on more than one occasion.[7] Kapil Dev also captured his maiden wicket of Sadiq Mohammad with his trademark outswinger.[8] Kapil Dev showcased his all-rounder talent when he scored India's fastest Test half-century off 33 balls and 2 sixes in each of the innings during the 3rd Test match at National Stadium, Karachi[9], though India lost the match and the series 2–0. In the ensuring series against a visiting West Indies team, he scored his maiden Test century (126) at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi in just 124 balls[10] and had a steady bowling performance (17 wickets at 33.00). Ominous signs of Kapil Dev's liking for England showed up in the ensuring series, Kapil's first outside the sub-continent. Kapil Dev picked up his first 5-wicket haul and all of England's wickets, though it came at a huge cost (48 overs and 146 runs conceded) as England scored a mammoth 633 and won the match comfortably[11]. Kapil Dev finished the series with 16 wickets though his batting haul of 45 runs (Average: 7.5) was unimpressive. Kapil Dev's debut in ODI Cricket happened in the earlier tour of Pakistan where his individual performance was ordinary and it stayed the same as both Kapil Dev and India had a poor campaign at the 1979 Cricket World Cup

Captain: 1983 World Cup Champions (1982–1984)

Kapil Dev debuted as India's captain in the 1982–83 season against Sri Lanka (before the Pakistan tour) when Sunil Gavaskar was rested. Kapil Dev's first assignment as the regular captain was the tour of West Indies where the biggest accomplishment was a lone ODI victory. Kapil Dev (72) and Sunil Gavaskar (90) led India to a huge score – 282/5 in 47 overs and Kapil's 2 wickets aided India to restrict West Indies for 255 and a victory[21] that Indian cricketers claim gave them the confidence to face the West Indies team in 1983 Cricket World Cup[22]. Overall, Kapil Dev had a good series in West Indies as he scored a century to save the second test match[23] as well as picking up 17 wickets (Average: 24.94)

1983 World Cup Performance

Kapil Dev entered the World Cup with an ordinary individual record – 32 Matches, 608 Runs (Average: 21), 34 wickets. India's solitary victory in the previous two World Cups was against East Africa in 1975. Riding on Yashpal Sharma (89 Runs), Roger Binny and Ravi Shastri (3 wickets each), India inflicted the West Indies' first-ever defeat in the World Cup.[24] Following a victory against Zimbabwe, India lost the next two matches – Australia (despite Kapil Dev's best career figures of 5/43)[25] and West Indies. India now needed victories against Australia and Zimbabwe to advance to semi-finals.

India faced Zimbabwe at Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells on 18 June 1983 under overcast conditions. India won the toss and elected to bat. Disaster struck as the top order started a procession back to the dressing room as Sunil Gavaskar (0), Kris Srikkanth (0), Mohinder Amarnath (5) and Sandeep Patil (1) leaving India at a precarious 9/4 that turned to 17/5 when Yashpal Sharma (9) was dismissed. Batting with the lower order batsmen, Kapil Dev stabilized the side with a 60-run partnership with Roger Binny (22 runs) and a 62-run partnership with Madan Lal. When Syed Kirmani walked in at 140/8, Kapil Dev had scored his half-century and went on to score his century off 100 balls. Together with Kirmani (22 runs), Kapil put on an unbeaten 126 runs for the 9th wicket – a current world record. Kapil Dev finished not out with 175 runs off 138 balls, an innings that included 16 boundaries and 6 sixes. The innings figures in the Top 10 ODI Batting Performances compiled by Wisden in February 2002[26] at No. 4. India won the match by 31 runs[27]. After a win against Australia, India entered the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals India faced the English cricket team. Kapil Dev helped curtail the lower-order after England lost regular wickets to Roger Binny and Mohinder Amarnath. Kapil took 3 wickets as India limited England to 213 and the middle order of Mohinder Amarnath (46 runs), Yashpal Sharma (61), Sandeep Patil (51*) ensured victory[28] and entry into the finals to take on the mighty West Indies cricket team who were looking for a hat-trick of World Cup titles. West Indies restricted India for 183 runs, with only Kris Srikkanth (38 runs) providing some scoring relief. Despite losing Gordon Greenidge, West Indies steadied their innings to 57/2 on the back of quick scoring by Viv Richards and looked comfortable. Richards played one too many aggressive shots when he skied a pull shot from Madan Lal that Kapil caught at deep square leg after running for over 20 yards. The catch is attributed as the turning point in the 1983 WC Final and is regarded as one of the finest in ODI Cricket. West Indies collapsed from 50/1 to 76/6 and finally were bowled out for 140 with Kapil picking up the wicket of Andy Roberts[29]. Kapil Dev had upset Clive Lloyd's West Indies to win their maiden and to-date only World Cup[30] and he led from the front with 303 runs (Average: 60.6), 12 wickets (Average: 20.41) and 7 catches in 8 matches – a truly all-round performance.


FINALLY WE CAN SAY THAT" An outstandingly accurate swing bowler and an uncomplicated hitter of the ball, Kapil Dev was India's greatest fast bowler, their greatest fast-bowling allrounder, and led the team to their finest triumph: the 1983 World Cup title. He was voted Wisden's Indian Cricketer of the Century in 2002, and had he not played at the same time as Imran Khan, Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee, would surely have been recognised as the finest all-round cricketer of his age"