Athletic and courageous, all-rounder Kapil Dev smelled like team spirit (with a splash of Palmolive) and brought to India’s arsenal the firepower of wily pace, gutsy batting, and a never-say-die attitude. Promoted to captain in 1983, he led an underdog side (nicknamed Kapil’s Devils post facto) to a historic World Cup triumph. To date, he is lionised for his unforgettable 175 not out against Zimbabwe and his spectacular sprinting catch to halt the ferocious onslaught of Vivian Richards in the final.

The Eighties saw India on the ascent, aided by a lineup of fluent stroke-makers in Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohammad Azharuddin, and tenacious all-rounders in Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri. Gavaskar, by now the elder statesman, cantered to a record 34 centuries and 10,000 Test runs.

In 1987, when the World Cup was first played outside England, the home crowd in the subcontinent expected a repeat of 1983. That was not to be, but the end of the decade brought new hope. In November 1989, a 16-year-old boy marched out into the middle to face the brunt of a pugnacious Pakistani pace attack. His name was Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Cricket would never be the same again.

Credits:Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Seema Seth, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi and Velu Shankar

Acknowledgements:

YouTube

Kapil Dev Was India's Greatest Match-Winner: Sunil Gavaskarwww.youtube.com/watch?v=mwE9hMdlQ_4

1983 WORLD CUP SEMI FINAL INDIA vs ENGLANDm.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gavrm8m-U…IzgwaW5uaW5nMDE%3D

HIGHLIGHTS: Prudential World Cup Final 1983 Watch India Win World Cup 83 Final | #83TheFilm Trailorwww.youtube.com/watch?v=WmKQ7W-Miso&t=71s

Kapil Dev and the story of the 1983 World Cupwww.youtube.com/watch?v=L6TYFyDm5Io

1983 World cup winners: Indira Gandhi celebrates with Kapil Dev and co.www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAIiVk3yhwI

Kapil Dev - Palmolive Ad | (RARE)www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fA7QhWcJM8

Old Indian TV Ads featuring Kapil Devwww.youtube.com/watch?v=6WIRuaN_Bbc

Old Doordarshan ad Vimal ft Ravi Shastriwww.youtube.com/watch?v=CBJS4un2fvk

M13 - Final India vs Pakistan 1985www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDudsBwP5…H8fwOxWz&index=12

*RARE* INDIA v ENGLAND - SEMI FINAL 1987 WORLD CUPwww.youtube.com/watch?v=8P4Rq9mtxhc&t=12s

Cricket bat sound | Hitting Soundwww.youtube.com/watch?v=_g0ceWN2_Mg

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