"Character is the most important thing" - Kapil Dev reveals what helped India win the 1983 World Cup
India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev heaped great praise on his seniors and the support staff for their triumph in the mega event. The 62-year-old said that he wouldn't be anywhere near as good without the support of the other players.
Kapil Dev also spoke about the character each member of the winning squad showed and how they defeated all the odds to lift the magnificent title at Lord's.
The Chandigarh-born all-rounder, while speaking to India Today during a special show, said:
“You can make a movie about everybody. I was the captain but I think I was not even half good or even quarter without the support of seniors and Man and Polly. Character is the most important thing. If we pick up all fourteen and Yash, I think everybody has a character. When you want to achieve something as big as that, everybody needs to have a character.”
Kapil Dev's movie reference is in context to the fact that a film titled '1983' has hit the theaters. It showcases India's title-winning run in the 1983 Cricket World Cup.
Kapil Dev led the team from the front in the marquee event. He excelled with both bat and ball. He scored 303 runs, including an unbeaten 175 with the bat. Kapil Dev also picked up 12 wickets with the ball in the same tournament. The all-rounder was also one of India's top fielders in the 1983 World Cup.
"Everybody has a character in the sense that they are not pushovers" - Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev further elaborated that none of the players in the 1983 World Cup-winning squad were pushovers. He added that they were willing to push beyond their limits to help the team excel.
“We all play cricket. If I look back, I think everybody has a character in the sense that they are not pushovers. You give them a lot of respect for not being a yes man, but they are ready to die and at the end of the day, they were all brilliant characters."
India started the 1983 World Cup with wins against West Indies and Zimbabwe but lost their next two matches to Australia and West Indies, respectively. However, the team bounced back hard to win all the remaining games in the tournament and clinch the trophy by defeating the mighty West Indies in the final.