“Heartbreaking” - Indian cricket fraternity pays tribute to 1983 World Cup hero Yashpal Sharma
Indian cricket fraternity reacted with shock as Yashpal Sharma, one of the team’s heroes in the 1983 World Cup win, passed away on Tuesday. Yashpal Sharma died of a heart attack on Tuesday morning at around 7:40 am. He was 66.
Yashpal Sharma scored a magnificent 89 in the league clash against West Indies in Manchester in the 1983 World Cup and was the top-scorer with 61 in the semi-finals verus England. A subsequent poor run of form, however, saw Yashpal Sharma lose his place in the Indian team.
He ended his international career with 37 Tests and 42 ODIs, scoring 1606 and 883 runs respectively. The Indian cricket fraternity paid rich tributes to Yashpal Sharma following his demise. Here are some of the Twitter reactions:
Dilip Vengsarkar, Kirti Azad remember Yashpal Sharma
Former India cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar also expressed shock at Yashpal Sharma’s death, describing him as one of the fittest cricketers from his era. He was quoted as saying by the PTI:
"It is unbelievable. He was the fittest among all of us. I had asked him that day when we met how about his routine. He was a vegetarian, teetotaller, used to have soup for his dinner and very particular about his morning walks. I am just shocked.”
Vengsarkar added:
"As a player, he was a proper team man and a fighter. I fondly remember the 1979 Test against Pakistan in Delhi. We both had a partnership which helped us save the game. I knew him since my university days. Still can't believe it."
Kirti Azad, Yashpal Sharma’s teammate during the 1983 World Cup, described the late cricketer as a livewire on the cricket field. Azad told the news agency:
“I remember the very first game in the 1983 World Cup playing the mighty West Indies with those fast bowlers, he set the agenda and we won that game. He was again fantastic in the semifinal hitting Bob Willis for a six. Nowadays people say (Ravindra) Jadeja hits stumps regularly but so did Yashpal. He was a livewire on the field and would hit stumps all the time.”
According to media reports, Yashpal Sharma collapsed at home after returning from his morning walk.
Apart from representing India at the highest level, Yashpal Sharma also played 160 first-class matches in which he scored 8,933 runs, including 21 centuries.