The Hurricane Cricketer

“God gave me the out-swinger, I had to develop the rest (the in-swinger),” he said. Towards the middle of his career, he became the greatest pace bowler India has produced, and also the greatest fast-bowling all-rounder.

This hurricane fast bowler achieved enough to be voted India’s Cricketer of the Century during 2002, ahead of Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. His greatest feats were to lead India almost jauntily, and by his all-round example, to the 1983 World Cup, and to take the world-record aggregate of Test wickets from Hadlee. It was the stamina of the marathon runner that took him finally to 431 wickets and only a yard beyond.  

Childhood

Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj was born on January 6, 1959 in Chandigarh. His parents had migrated from Rawalpindi during the Partition of India. He was a student at D.A.V. School and St. Edward’s School, Shimla.

The Cricketer

Kapil made his Test cricket debut in Faisalabad, Pakistan in 1978. He established himself as India’s premier fast bowler when he took two 5-wicket hauls and ended the home series against Australia with 28 wickets.

In his Test Cricket career, Dev played 131 Test matches scoring 5248 runs with a highest score of 163. As a bowler, he took 434 wickets.

Dev played 225 ODI matches throughout his career, and scored 3783 runs with a highest score of 175. As a bowler, he took 252 wickets.

Throughout his cricketing career Kapil Dev contributed to the cause of the team with both bat and the ball and saved the team from impossible situations.

The Coach

 He was appointed coach of the Indian national cricket team in 1999. In his term, India won just one test match and had two major series losses. At the height of the match-fixing allegation by Manoj Prabhakar – a charge that was subsequently dismissed – Dev resigned as coach. Hurt by the betting controversy, he announced that he was leaving the game. 

Awards

1979–80 – Arjuna Award

1982 – Padma Shri

1991 – Padma Bhushan

 Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2010