Adjudged by ‘Wisden’ as the Indian Cricketer of the Century, ‘Kapil Dev’ stands on the pinnacle of cricketing excellence this is a reward commensurate with his labour of love, energy and commitment for cricket.
That he captured 434 wickets and scored 5248 runs in 131 tests might be good enough reasons for celebrations among many of his admirers. But then for Kapil Dev what was more important was the pride he took in performing for the country.
This was reflected time and again in his performances with great heart after receiving a painkilling shot in his arm to help India beat the mighty Australians at Melbourne (1981).
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It was national pride only which inspired Kapil Dev to bowl with Great Spirit, stamina and perseverance on the dead Indian wickets with spectacular success.
But nothing that Kapil Dev might have captured popular imagination as much as that miraculous 175 (N.O.) he scored against Zimbabwe in 1983 World Cup.
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He came to bat India had lost the fifth wicket at 17 runs and launched the sort of offensive we seldom associate with Indian crickets in such difficult situations. The fact that it was a first century by an Indian in limited over cricket to this day is rarely highlighted.
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In the arena of sport, there are heroes and there are winners, but a combination of both a heroic winner is a rare phenomenon. In Indian cricket there is no better example of this breed than Kapil Dev.
The cricketer of the century Award decisively mirrors in Kapil Dev, the strength of character, the spirit of overcoming odds, and the mental strength to face adversities and will to overcome even hostile situations. We join the millions in felicitating Kapil Dev for great honour.