Sunil Valson on 40 years of India’s 1983 World Cup win: Was an incredible boost to our sporting dreams

40 years of India’s 1983 World Cup win: Sunil Valson looks back at the memorable 1983 World Cup campaign, when India beat the West Indies in the final to lift its maiden title.

Yashpal Sharma and Sunil Valson (right), members of the Indian cricket team, that won the 1983 Prudential World Cup in England. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Sunil Valson was a much-loved member of the team. He did not play a match, but his input was sought by all. At no point did he hold a grudge that he was not given a chance, even though he had performed the best in the domestic season to deserve a place in the 14. He shares his joyful journey in this interview.

How big was the 1983 World Cup win for the nation?

It was an incredible boost to our sporting dreams. I loved the 1975 World Cup hockey win through radio commentary. It was a boost for the sport at the time. The same can be said for cricket. It was the most popular game in India, but we were not world champions. The win in 1983 established us. We were not going to be humiliated on the world stage in limited-overs cricket. There was tremendous self-belief, and the spark was lit for the future generation of cricketers to go a step further.

READ | 1983 Cricket World Cup Special, Prudential World Cup

What are your memories of Kapil Dev’s 175 not out?

I was blessed to have watched it. It was actually Kapil vs Zimbabwe on that eventful day. It propelled us towards the goal from a desperate situation. It was an incredible batting performance, and Kapil did it so effortlessly. It was very windy, I remember. There was a lot of seam movement, and we kept losing wickets at an alarming rate. Kapil was not aware of the happenings as he was having a bath. Once he settled in the middle, he came up with an exceptional range of shots. Let me share a superstition we followed in the dressing room: not one player moved from his position until the innings was over.

How was it beating England in the semifinal?

The most thrilling one personally... The buildup for the final was intense on television. I was sitting in the room and watching the discussion on the BBC, where Ray Illingworth, Brian Close, and Ted Dexter were engaged in a lively conversation. They were not talking about the semifinal at all. It was all about how to tackle the West Indies in the final. All three were convinced it was going to be England vs. the West Indies in the final. I loved seeing their faces after the match was over. The semifinal loss at Old Trafford was a huge humiliation, as England lost to a team that was not supposed to win even against Zimbabwe.

What were your favourite moments?

There were many unforgettable moments during the World Cup, but the most thrilling was the recovery against Zimbabwe. That win gave the team hope that we could go the distance. It became a reality as we beat one of the greatest one-day teams in the history of the game. Imagine, we had a team where Dilip Vengsarkar and Ravi Shastri had to sit out in the final. I have regrets, though. I could not collect any souvenirs from that epic journey.

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