"Original captain cool"- Sunil Gavaskar on Kapil Dev's 'dynamic' captaincy during the 1983 World Cup
Former Indian legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar hailed former all-rounder Kapil Dev's captaincy during the 1983 World Cup. He believes Kapil's captaincy was the need of the hour back then for Indian cricket in that format.
Gavaskar also recalled Kapil Dev's crucial catch of Vivian Richards during the 1983 World Cup final. However, he also claimed that the former Indian captain was cool under pressure and didn't react aggressively when his teammates dropped a catch.
Speaking exclusively to TOI on the 40th anniversary of India's 1983 World Cup win, here's what Sunil Gavaskar said about Kapil Dev:
"Kapil’s performances with both bat and ball were dazzling to say the least. Not to forget his catch of Viv Richards in the final. His captaincy was dynamic, exactly what the format required, and his ready smile even when a player dropped a catch or mis-fielded makes him the original captain cool."
Sunil Gavaskar on emotions after winning the World Cup
Sunil Gavaskar recalled how the entire Indian dressing room was filled with smiles when they won the 1983 World Cup. He believes words cannot describe the feeling of having just become the world champions.
On this, he stated:
"It’s hard to put in words what those moments after the win felt like. It would have made a great advert for toothpaste as everybody around us were laughing and smiling and to see that was simply heart-lifting."
Sunil Gavaskar also took a cheeky dig at England by claiming that they change the venue of the World Test Championship final when their team fails to qualify. He added:
"Hopefully, the same will happen with the World Test Championship and the next finals will be in a different country. When the cycle is announced, it says the finals will be at Lord’s, but the moment England fail to qualify, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) changes it to another venue as we have seen with the last two editions."
The first three editions of the World Cup were played in England, after which more countries have got the opportunity to host the prestigious tournament.