India’s iconic World Cup win in 1983: The West Indies were invincible during the 70s and 80s. They were head and shoulders above any cricketing nation at that time. A drawn series against them was regarded as a big achievement. To further establish their dominance the West Indies had won the first two editions of the World Cup. The likes of Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Michael Holding, and Joel Garner were a bunch of world-beaters. It was impossible to think beyond West Indies when it came to the third edition of the World Cup in 1983.
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A slight twist to the regular:
Unlike the first two editions, this World Cup saw a double round-robin in the league stage. Teams had to play other teams in the group twice and the top two from each group would make it to the semis. Matches were played simultaneously and the quest was to do the unthinkable. The narrative though appeared a repeat of what everyone witnessed in the first two World Cups.
The world order changed in 1983:
India was placed in the group involving West Indies, Australia, and Zimbabwe. Their qualification to the semis wasn’t even a proposition. Few members of the side had pre-booked their tickets post the league stage. But their captain had belief. It was his vision that translated into India’s unexpected yet well-deserved success. India became the world champion in 1983. Their win changed the course of the world order. There were several key members who made the win possible.
We look at a few such game changers from India’s iconic World Cup win in 1983:
#1 Kapil Dev
He is the biggest name that comes to mind when one thinks about the 1983 World Cup. Kapil Dev holds the distinction of being the first Indian captain to win a cricket World Cup. The fact that he did this when India was not a force in world cricket adds to his glory. Dev led from the front. He was the one who stood tall when the going got tough. In a must-win game against Zimbabwe, India was reeling at 9-4 and later 17-5.
It was Kapil Dev whose 175* took India to 266. India stayed unbeaten from that game onward. The side had a newfound confidence. Their winning mindset shone especially in the finals when India outclassed two-time champions West Indies. Kapil’s devils as they were fondly called became the toast of the nation. Indian cricket will forever revel in this glory and Dev is a big part of this story!
#2 Mohinder Amarnath
He was one of the biggest architects of India’s famous win. Mohinder Amarnath in 1983 did exactly what Yuvraj Singh managed to do in the 2011 World Cup. He delivered an all-round performance game after game. The Indian team luckily was blessed with players who could contribute with both skills. Kapil Dev, Amarnath, Ravi Shastri, and Yashpal Sharma were all capable all-rounders. Amarnath chose to showcase his class on the grandest of the world stages.
He delivered player of the match performance in both semi-finals and finals. Amarnath is part of an elite club that won the award in both the semis and finals. Only Aravinda de Silva (1996) and Shane Warne (1999) are part of this prestigious group. Amarnath hit a combined 82 runs and picked up 5 wickets in both games to take India to the pinnacle at Lords.
