India’s limited-overs cricket received a shot in the arm when the team, dubbed ‘Kapil’s Devils’, marched to a sensational World Cup triumph at Lord’s in 1983. It set off a belief among the other teams that they, too, can dream of winning cricket’s showpiece event.
Ravi Shastri, a member of the 1983 World Cup squad, looks back at the memorable campaign.
40 years. Does it make you feel old?
On every anniversary, you feel younger because you reminisce about the past and relive ’83 again.
How has the sense of your achievement changed with every passing anniversary?
Nothing. It’s as if ’83 has come back, you know. It’s such a strong feeling, and obviously, with the movie coming out, it’s caught the imagination of a lot more people than it did in 1983. Even the youngsters keep going and watching it, so something very special.
READ | 1983 Cricket World Cup Special, Prudential World Cup
Do you ever think, what if it did not happen?
I don’t think, ‘what if it would not have happened’ because it has happened and it has changed the face of cricket in India once and for all. If the younger generation is prospering the way it is today, it must thank ’83.
Do today’s youngsters acknowledge the contribution of the batch of ’83?
No question. A guy like Sachin Tendulkar says that he started watching cricket and wanted to play the game at the highest level after seeing the World Cup. It has inspired millions of youngsters, not just in India but around the globe. And it will continue to do so because it was the first time India ever won a World Cup. And it was the first time a team other than the West Indies had won a World Cup, so it’s as big as that.
Would India’s World Cup triumph in November be the ideal capping off for the 40-year celebrations?
There’s nothing like it, if it happens. A World Cup is a World Cup. I don’t believe in the ICC trophy and all that. It’s a World Cup. That is important.
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