CRICKETERS OF INDIA – KAPIL DEV
INDIAN CRICKETER – KAPIL DEV
Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj(born 6 January 1959, Chandigarh Punjab, India), better known as Kapil Dev, is a former Indian cricketer. He captained the Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup. Named by Wisden as the Indian Cricketer of the Century in 2002, Kapil Dev was also India’s national cricket coach for 10 months between October 1999 and August 2000. Kapil was a right-arm pace bowler noted for his graceful action and potent outswinger, and was India’s main strike bowler for most of his career. Nicknamed The Haryana Hurricane, he represented the Haryana cricket team in domestic cricket. He retired in 1994, holding the world record for the most number of wickets taken in Test cricket, a record subsequently broken by Courtney Walsh in 2000. He is the only player in the history of cricket to have taken more than 400 wickets and scored more than 5,000 runs in Tests, making him one of the greatest all-rounders to have played the game.
Kapil Dev debuted as India’s captain in the 1982–83 season against Sri Lanka (before the Pakistan tour) when Gavaskar was rested. His first assignment as regular captain was the tour of West Indies, where the biggest accomplishment was a lone ODI victory. Kapil (72) and 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 that Indian cricketers claim gave them the confidence to face the West Indies team in 1983 Cricket World Cup. Overall, Kapil Dev had a good series in West Indies as he scored a century to save the second test match as well as picking up 17 wickets.
He was introduced to Romi Bhatia by a common friend in 1979 and proposed to her in 1980. The couple married in 1980 and had a daughter, Amiya Dev, on 16 January 1996. After retirement from cricket in 1994, Kapil Dev took up golf. Kapil was the only Asian founding member of Laureus Foundation in 2000. Ian Botham and Viv Richards were the other two cricketers on the founding member council of 40. Steve Waugh was added to the Academy members in 2006 when it was expanded from 40 to 42. He has written three autobiographical works. By God’s Decree came out in 1985 and Cricket my style in 1987. He released his most recent autobiography, titled Straight from the Heart in 2004.