Born on 6 January 1959, Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj also known as “The Haryana Hurricane”. Kapil Dev was born in Chandigarh, Punjab. Kapil Dev was a middle-order batter and a fast-medium bowler with supreme excellence.
Do you know Kapil Dev was the first and youngest Captain of the Indian cricket team to win a world cup!!!
Kapil Dev debuted his career by playing for Haryana against the Punjab team in the year 1975. Kapil debuted with his first Test match in the year 1978. In just the 3rd match of his career, Kapil played against Pakistan in the year 1979-80 and scored 278runs with 33 wickets. Kapil became the youngest player to score 100 wickets and 1000 runs. He is famously recalled for changing the future of Indian Cricket.
In the year 1983 Kapil Dev became the captain of the Indian Cricket team by replacing Sunil Gavaskar. Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar both led to the victory of India’s First World Cup.
Dev played his last world cup in the year 1992 under the captaincy of Mohammad Azharuddin with a strike rate of 125.80 runs per 100 balls.
Post his retirement, Kapil was appointed as the coach of the Indian Cricket Team in the year 1999. But soon Kapil resigned as the coach due to match-fixing allegations and underperformance of the Indian team under his leadership. “I bid adieu to the game that gave me so much and then took a great deal of it away on the mere hearsay of a third party” said Kapil Dev while resigning as the coach of the Indian team.
Apart from his cricket career, Dev has written 4 books including a book on Sikhism and 3 autobiographies namely, By God’s Decree in the year 1985, Cricket My Style in the year 1987, Straight from the Heart in the year 2004. His latest book being We, The Sikhs was published in 2019.
Kapil Dev has also been awarded the Arjuna award, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Wisden Cricketer of the Year, and many more. He was also honored as Lieutenant Colonel by the Indian Army.
Soon, film 83 will be released directed by Kabir Khan and Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev showcasing the win of India’s first World Cup.
Kapil Dev is currently a popular commentator and a critic.
