3 reasons why Kapil Dev is the greatest Indian cricketer of all time
The 1983 World Cup team of India, led by Kapil Dev, is currently celebrating 40 years of their memorable triumph on English soil. Very few cricket fans gave Dev's men a chance of winning a single match in the mega event of 1983 when they landed in England for the tournament.
However, the Indian team stunned the world by defeating heavyweights like Australia and the West Indies to become the second team after the West Indies to win the World Cup. Kapil Dev and Mohinder Amarnath were two of the biggest match-winners for India in that competition.
Almost every sports fan in India would have seen Dev's photo with the 1983 World Cup trophy. That championship win inspired a whole new generation of cricketers in India.
Now that four decades have passed since that win, in this listicle, we will look at the three reasons why Kapil Dev is the greatest Indian cricketer of all time.
#1 Kapil Dev was the first Indian captain to win the World Cup
It would not be wrong to say that India may not have been a superpower in the cricket world right now had Kapil Dev not led the nation to the 1983 World Cup.
Although other individuals also played their roles well, it was the captain's duty to instill self-belief in an underdog team to defeat the heavyweights.
The Indian team would not receive much media attention as well, while the salaries of the Indian cricketers were nowhere near the current deals offered to the players.
Hence, it would have been quite difficult for Dev to motivate his men to bring their 'A' game to the table and lift the World Cup by defeating two-time defending champions the West Indies in the final.
#2 Kapil Dev helped India make the greatest comeback in World Cup history
India's journey to the 1983 World Cup title was not the smoothest. They started the tournament with an upset win against the West Indies but suffered defeats in their next three games against Zimbabwe, Australia, and the West Indies. Another defeat would have ended India's campaign in the group stage itself.
In the do-or-die match against Zimbabwe, India collapsed to 17/5. Dev then played one of the greatest knocks in cricket history, scoring 175 runs off 138 balls and smacking 16 fours and six sixes to help India finish with 266 runs on the board.
India did not look back after that knock from Dev, and they won their next three matches to lift the title.
#3 Kapil Dev played 131 Tests and 225 ODIs as a fast-bowling all-rounder
In today's era of T20 leagues, it is rare to see a fast-bowling all-rounder achieve success in multiple formats for an extended period of time.
More often than not, the players are hurt by injuries, but in an era where cricket did not guarantee a bright future for the youngsters, Dev worked hard on his fitness and played 131 Tests and 225 ODIs as a pace-bowling all-rounder.
Dev picked up 434 wickets in Tests while scoring 5,248 runs, including eight centuries. In ODIs, he scored 3,783 runs and accounted for 253 wickets. His fielding was brilliant as well, as he took over 100 catches in his international career.
Not a single other Indian cricketer has had this complete package of batting, fast-bowling, captaincy, consistency, and fitness, which is why many consider Kapil Dev the greatest Indian cricketer of all time.