Kapil Dev conferred with BCCI 'Lifetime Achievement Award'

Former India captain Kapil Dev was on Saturday honoured with the C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the BCCI at its seventh annual awards ceremony in Mumbai.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was bestowed with the Polly Umrigar Award for being the best international cricket last season.

Ashwin in the 2012-13 season during which he claimed 43 wickets, inclusive of four 5WI and one 10WM, and scored 263 runs, inclusive of two 50's from 8 Tests, besides grabbing 24 wickets from 18 ODIs, and three wickets from four T20 Internationals.

The Polly Umrigar Award comprises a trophy and a cheque for Rs 5 lakh and the award has been won in previous years twice by Sachin Tendulkar (2006-07 and 2009-10) and once each by Virender Sehwag (2007-08), Gautam Gambhir (2008-09), Rahul Dravid (2010-11) and Virat Kohli (2011-12).

Legendary all rounder and 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil became the 21st Indian cricketer to receive the C K Nayudu Award.

"When we started playing, it was only for passion as we didn't think about any awards. I would like to thank all the captains under whom I have played. Bishan Bedi, Sunil, Venkat (S Venkataragahavan), Gundappa Viswanath. I would like to thank my family who allowed me to play the game for so much time. I believe all of us including me should feel proud for making the game popular in the country," Kapil said after accepting the award.

One of the greatest cricketers of all time, Kapil Dev was the first player to complete the 'double' of 5,000 runs and 400 wickets in Tests.

The most poignant moment of the short award function was when Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kapil were caught in the same frame posing with the Prudential Cup and the ICC World Cup Trophy. Dhoni then handed the ICC World Cup Trophy to Kapil while the veteran handed the Prudential Cup to Dhoni. 

Kapil's temperament and tenacity overshadowed his talent.

He produced his best in crisis situations. He overcame an injured thigh to take 5-28 against Australia at Melbourne in 1980-81, which took India to a famous series-levelling win.

His 119 against the same team at Chennai in 1986-87 steered India out of a tight spot, and set up only the second tied Test in the history of the sport.

Against England at Lord's in 1990, with India needing 24 to avoid the follow-on, and the number eleven batsman at the other end, he proceeded to hit off-spinner Eddie Hemmings for four consecutive sixes and achieved the goal.

He had a stint as coach of the Indian team in 1999-00, and served as Chairman of the National Cricket Academy in 2006-07.

Ashwin on his part said, "I am extremely blessed and honoured to be standing before you. This is the real dream come true. I thank the BCCI for honouring and recogising my performance.

Mumbai's Abhishek Nayar received the Lala Amarnath Award, for being the best all-rounder in the 2012-13 edition of the Ranji Trophy. He scored 966 runs at 96.6, inclusive of three centuries and eight fifties, and 19 wickets at 22.8, inclusive of one 5WI, from eleven matches, in the tournament.

The award comprises a trophy and a cheque for Rs 250,000.

The Mumbai Cricket Association collected the trophy for the Best Overall Performance in the 2012-13 season. The various teams representing the MCA won the Ranji Trophy, the Under-25 C K Nayudu Trophy, the Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, the Women's Under-19 Inter-State tournament, and finished runners-up in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy.

Rohit Sharma, who is in India's IDI as well as Test squad that is to leave for New Zealand tomorrow morning, received the Dilip Sardesai Award, for being India's best cricketer in the recent home Test series against the West Indies.

He scored hundreds in both Tests, and accumulated an aggregate of 288 runs. The award comprises a trophy and a cheque for Rs 5 lakh.

A highlight of the function was the felicitation of three former stalwarts - R G (Bapu) Nadkarni, Farokh Engineer and the late Eknath Solkar - for their contribution to Indian cricket. Neither Nadkarni, not Engineer were present to receive the award, while Solkar's widow received the award.

They were awarded a memento and a cheque for Rs 15 lakh each.

The function was attended by members of the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led squad that is set to depart for New Zealand tomorrow morning.

Also present were former India stars Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly, among others.