‘India’s greatest all-rounder’ Kapil Dev celebrates 62nd birthday
The first Indian World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev marked his 62nd birthday on Wednesday.
Kapil Dev is highly recognized as one of the all-time legendary all-rounders who played the game. He led India to the landmark 1983 World Cup win-a moment and occurrence that forever changed Indian cricket’. Kapil was also the first bowler to take over 200 ODI wickets and was one of the most stringent bowlers in the history of the format.
On the occasion of Kapil Dev Birthday, many former and current cricketers poured in their heart-warming wishes to the retired cricketer.
India’s cricket governing body BCCI in a tweet called Kapil as “Team India’s greatest all-rounder” and highlighted his achievements. Meanwhile, Indian skipper Virat Kohli and batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar prayed for his good health.
While Kapil Dev celebrates 62nd Birthday on January 6th, here’s somethings that stand out from his magnificent career.
- 5000 &400: Scored More than 5000 Cricket Runs and Grabbed More than 400 Cricket Wickets
Kapil Dev is the first player in the history of Test cricket to attain a rare double of 5000-plus runs and 400-plus wickets. He finished his career with 5248 runs, including 8 hundred and 434 wickets at 29.64 a piece in 131 Tests.
2. Took India to a landmark win in the 1983 World Cup
Kapil Dev led India to an unprecedented 1983 World Cup victory in England. He was the Player of the Tournament, and he did not lose once in the eight games he participated in the competition. He was the fifth-highest runner in the competition with a total of 303 runs in 8 innings at an average of 60.6 and, most importantly, 108.99–the second-highest (min. 100 runs) in the World Cup behind Rod Marsh.
Kapil stands out for his ability to score difficult runs under pressure (the dropping of early wickets) at a fast strike rate. No other innings displayed this consistency better than his 175 out of 138 deliveries to Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells. He was also phenomenally restrictive in the tournament, as shown by his economy rate of 2.91.
3. Wickets Tally in the Test Game
In 131 tests, Kapil Dev collected 434 wickets at an average of 29.64 and a strike rate of 63.9. Just Anil Kumble picked up more wickets in Test Cricket for India. He is the 9th highest wicket-taker in the history of Test Cricket.
4. Just the Test Hundred in Win for India
Kapil Dev scored 156 for 5 in the first innings of the fourth and final test against the West Indies in Chennai in 1988 and blasted a splendid 109 out of 124 deliveries with 18 boundaries. India had made 382. Some Narendra Hirwani then racked up 16 wickets at the debut to give India a prestigious 255-run series-levelling victory.
5. 95.07. : ODI Strike Rate!
Kapil Dev’s ODI Strike Rate of 95.07 was the second-highest in the world (min. 1000 runs) only after Ian Smith(99.43) in his career.
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