Kapil Dev Nikhanj, popular as Kapil Dev, stands as one of India’s top-notch cricketers.
A lean all-rounder, his outswingers baffled rival batters. Switching roles, his batting knocked opponents for a loop. Kapil Dev’s hallmark? He led India to their inaugural ODI World Cup victory.
Dev’s 1983 invincibles had justifiably made their mark in history by defeating the heavily favored West Indies in the championship match.
Former cricketers, Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani, proudly hold the second-place honor for the top partnerships in the ninth wicket during One-Day Internationals.
Till 2010, this record belonged to them. But things changed! Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga, playing for Sri Lanka against Australia, staged a performance at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Their batting broke the record.
We present to you three records of Kapil Dev in this listicle that may never be surpassed:
1. Best figures in an innings by a captain
The record for having the greatest stats of any skipper in a Test match still belongs to Kapil Dev.
When he scored 9-83 against the West Indies in Ahmedabad in 1983, he accomplished this milestone.
He had earlier in the year guided India to their first-ever World Cup triumph in the 50-over format, and he then put on this incredible show of swing bowling at the Motera.
In the game’s second innings, Dev accomplished this feat after the West Indies were bowled out for a pitiful 201.
India, needing 242 runs to win, was all out for 103 runs, giving the visitors a 138-run advantage.
2. Wickets taken through hit wicket
Even though Kapil Dev is ranked second among bowlers who have taken the most wickets while dismissing a player with a hit-wicket approach, it is improbable that he and record holder Graham McKenzie will be surpassed.
Dev has experienced three of these dismissals, compared to the latter’s four. Along with Dev, the record is shared by Ray Lindwall, Fred Truman, Vinoo Mankad, and Headley Verity; however, no current cricket player is included on the list.
This indicates that Dev will continue to hold the second position on this illustrious list and that this record will most definitely not be broken.
3. Highest partnership for the ninth wicket in ODIs
Former cricketers, Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani, proudly hold the second-place honor for the top partnerships in the ninth wicket during One-Day Internationals.
Till 2010, this record belonged to them. But things changed! Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga, playing for Sri Lanka against Australia, staged a performance at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Their batting broke the record.
Naturally, Dev and Kirmani got theirs when they batted together in the renowned Tunbridge Wells World Cup match against Zimbabwe in 1983, where the former went on to rewrite history with an undefeated 175 runs. The two scored 126 crucial runs together.
When he came out to bat, India was in a lot of trouble, but he calmed the ship and led them to a solid 266-8.
In order to appreciate the extent of Kapil’s innings, one needs to keep in mind that Kirmani only managed 24 runs throughout that collaboration.
With this knock, Dev went on to save India from the tournament’s verge, and he subsequently led them in an incredible way to victory.