Happy Birthday Kapil Dev - India's greatest captain, allrounder and the person who made cricket a religion
Kapil Dev is the former India cricket team captain who put the country on the cricketing world map as he helped them win the 1983 World Cup.
Before MS Dhoni ensured that small town India had the license to dream big, there was another individual who did the unthinkable. Hailing from Rohtak, in the newly-created state of Haryana, this individual had to battle the immense rivalry and tussles that dominated cricket circles in the 70s between Delhi and Bombay. Amidst all this, when he put on the India jersey, he changed the fortunes of a billion people. Kapil Dev, who celebrates his 62nd birthday, was born on January 6 1959 and his list of accomplishments is simply staggering. Kapil Dev was the ultimate cricketer and it is because of him that the game is a religion in the country.
June 25, 1983 will forever be immortalised for the way Kapil Dev changed world cricket forever when he helped India beat the almighty West Indies in the 1983 World Cup final to officially become the world champions. When they won the 1985 Benson and Hedges World Series in Australia, they were the ultimate world champions. Under Kapil Dev, India flourished for a time and it laid the base for many great cricketers to exhibit their glory. On the occasion of his 62nd birthday, here are some of the memorable moments in Kapil Dev's career.