Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar led the way as wishes poured in for 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev on his 62nd birthday
Taking to Twitter, Kohli wrote: “Happy Birthday @therealkapildev. Wishing you happy times ahead for you and your family. Have a wonderful and a healthy year ahead.” “Happy birthday @therealkapildev paaji!Wishing you a year full of happiness & health,” Tendulkar tweeted.
Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh and former batsman VVS Laxman wished good health and success for Dev.
“Wishing a very Happy Birthday to the legendary champion & greatest all-rounder @therealkapildev paaji. May you continue to be blessed with good health and success. Looking forward to teeing-off with you real soon! Have a wonderful year ahead. Best wishes,” Yuvraj tweeted.
Laxman wrote: “Warm birthday wishes to a man who has touched and inspired so many lives with joy. Wishing you a blessed, healthy, fruitful, and eventful year @therealkapildev paaji.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and International Cricket Council (ICC) took to Twitter and shared some of Kapil Dev’s career highlights. It was on June 25, 1983, when India lifted their first-ever cricket World Cup title by defeating West Indies in the final.
India’s World Cup final playing XI included Sunil Gavaskar, K Srikkanth, Mohinder Amarnath, Yashpal Sharma, SM Patil, Kapil Dev, Kirti Azad, Roger Binny, Madan Lal, Syed Kirmani, and Balwinder Sandhu. After the win, cricket got a fillip in the country, elevating the sport to religion for fans with every child wanting to become a cricketer.
In the final between India and West Indies, the latter won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Kapil Dev-led side managed to score just 183 runs as Andy Roberts took three wickets while Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and Larry Gomes picked up two wickets each.
For India, Kris Srikkanth top-scored as he played a knock of 38. Apart from him, no other batsman had managed to go past the 30-run mark. But a spirited bowling effort saw underdogs India win by 43 runs.
