Former India skipper Kapil Dev has has called upon the cricket team to ‘wholeheartedly commit’ to giving their absolute best, as the country marked the 40th anniversary since India won the 1983 World Cup in England.
India clinched its first-ever Cricket World Cup title by defeating a dominant West Indies by 43 runs in a gripping final at Lord’s. This was the win that triggered a massive wave of cricket mania that is still alive to this very day in India.
“In preparation for the World Cup 2023, it is imperative for the team to foster a collective mindset that centers on wholeheartedly committing to giving their absolute best,” said Kapil, according to a statement by the Adani Group.
“he true measure of success lies not solely in the outcome, but in the unwavering dedication to the relentless pursuit of personal excellence,”
Roger Binny, the current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief and the star all-rounder who was the leading wicket-taking of the 1993 tournament with 18 scalps, also said: “Being part of the 1983 World Cup-winning team was an incredible journey filled with determination and team spirit. Together, we believe in the potential of our current players to bring back the coveted trophy. Let’s unite as fans and inspire them to create history!.”
Some of the members of the team that scored an improbable 34-run victory over the mighty West Indies by also recalled their favourite moments from the tournament.
Sandeep Patil, who had scored a match-winning fifty in the semifinal against England also had happy memories of the day as it happened to be a very special day for his family.
“It was my late mother’s birthday as well on the day of semifinal. She told me that she had never asked for anything in her life from me, but wanted me to win the trophy. I told myself that no matter if its Bob Willis or his father (laughs), I was going to smash them,” said Patil.
He also recalled that a partnership between Jimmy (Mohinder Amarnath) and Yashpal Sharma proved to be instrumental in India’s win in the semifinal.
Mohinder Amarnath, who had taken the match-winning wicket in the final, also revealed that when attempted to grab the stumps as a souvenir of the memorable win, found that they we stuck inside the ground that he could not take it one out.
“But I was too happy about us becoming world champions. Forget about the wicket, it could not have been bigger than winning World Cup for us,” he added.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India also remembered the epic event by tweeting “A historic day & a landmark moment for Indian cricket as #TeamIndia, led by @therealkapildev, clinched the World Cup title.”
