Exclusive: 1983 team tell Virat Kohli and Team India, ‘Bat like Kapil, bowl like Kapil and captain like Kapil’

The members of the 1983 World Cup-winning advised Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Team India to draw inspiration for legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev if they hope to win the T20 World Cup 2022 title and then the 50-over World Cup in 2023.

Members of the 1983 World Cup-winning team at the premier of '83' film in Mumbai.

The World Cup win back in 1983 under the iconic skipper Kapil Dev still remains one of India’s biggest triumph on the cricket field. Fast forward to 2021 and Team India is battling captaincy drama after Virat Kohli has lost the white-ball leadership to be taken over by Rohit Sharma.

The members of the 1983 World Cup-winning advised Kohli, Rohit and Team India to draw inspiration for legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev if they hope to win the T20 World Cup 2022 title and then the 50-over World Cup in 2023. On the sidelines of premier of Ranveer Singh-starrer ‘83’, the 1983 cricket World Cup team spoke exclusively to Dnaindia.com’s Mugdha Kapoor Safaya.

Asked what the likes of Kohli and Rohit Sharma can learn from Kapil Dev’s captaincy, former India opener Sunil Gavaskar said, “Bat like Kapil. Field like Kapil. Be a captain like Kapil (Kapil jaisi captaani karey) aur agle saal jo T20 ka World Cup woh bhi haasil kar paenge aur 2023 mein jo 50 overs ka World Cup India mein hai woh bhi hasil kar paenge (then we can win the T20 World Cup next year and 50-over World Cup in 2023 as well).”

Former India pacer Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who bowled a peach of a delivery to dismiss West Indies opener Gordon Greenidge in the 1983 final, added, “If we had support staff in those days Gordon Greenidge’s wicket wouldn’t have fallen because I would have been in the hospital.”

Controversies are part and parcel of game: Kapil Dev

Former India captain Kapil Dev was asked if the cricket skippers in this country have to deal with a ‘lot of stress’ to which he replied that it was important to keep ‘moving forward’ no matter what is reported in the media.

“We did not have social media in those days like we have in today’s time. Controversies are part and parcel of sportsmen. What one does is play his game and keep moving forward. But there are people who make stories and story makers are important. We write our stories and move ahead what comes thereafter, like the way my entire team is narrating a story that is very important because those are your memories that is being projected onscreen,” Kapil said.

“For me, whether someone criticises or not, I believe in moving forward. Rest,  jisne jo kuch likhna hai, woh likhna hi hai. We should not be afraid of criticism and along with that one must be determined to achieve greater heights,” he added.

Teammate Kirti Azad believes that current Indian side have luxury of long line of support staff and analysts. “I can surely say one thing we just had one manager and not 40 support staff with us. We did not have video, no analyst, we would only listen to our seniors how good the players of West Indies were and act accordingly. We just had that little information. In today’s time, one even knows what direction one’s leg is moving in,” Azad said.