HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAPIL DEV: Kapil Dev registered his name in the history books after becoming the first captain to lead India to a World Cup trophy back in 1983. In an era when India was famous for its crafty batters and master spinners, Dev broke the mould with his fast bowling and batting prowess. He became a phenomenon, regarded as one of the top all-rounders of his time.
The former Indian captain has had his fair share of ups and downs both on and off the field in a stellar career.
Kapil Dev was born on January 6, 1959, in Chandigarh. Little did the nation know that it was the birth of a player, who would go on to change the trajectory of cricket in India. The player from Haryana made his international test debut against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 1, 1978, not looking back since then.
Like the unfazed player, he was on the field, Kapil Dev has never shied away from sharing opinions, some of which have also stoked controversies.
On his 64th birthday, here’s a look at some of his achievements, the inspiration behind the man and a few comments that have sparked some debate in recent times:
1. In an interview with CRED for the masterclass series titled ‘The Long game’ Kapil Dev shared that his main motivation to become a pacer was to prove to a senior cricket official wrong that India can’t produce a fast bowler.
Not only did he become a fast bowler but flourished at the international level becoming the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket in February 1994. This record would only be broken six years later by West Indian legend Courtney Walsh.
2. Many view the modern game as a hectic saga, but Kapil Dev blasted the current crop of players who complain about the pressure in a fiery statement
“Don’t play’. Who is asking you to? There is pressure, but if you are playing at that level, you will be admired and abused. If you are afraid of abuses, then don’t play……………………. Pressure is an American word. If you don’t want to work, don’t. Is anyone forcing you? Jaa ke kele ki shop lagao. Ande becho ja ke. (Open a banana stall, go sell eggs).”
3. Not being one to hold back in the ‘Chat with Champions’ event Dev made statements insinuating that he doesn’t understand terms like pressure and depression, which earned him a lot of flak, with people accusing him of being ignorant of mental health issues.
“I hear a lot of times on TV that there’s a lot of pressure on players to play in the IPL. Then I only say one thing, don’t play. If a player has passion, there will be no pressure. I can’t understand these American terms, like depression”
Kapil Dev enjoyed an illustrious career taking 434 wickets and scoring 5248 runs in 131 Tests matches for India. He will always be remembered as an icon who played a crucial role in taking cricket from being just another sport to a ‘religion’ for most fans in India.
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