Kapil Dev

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Image:Flag of India.svg Kapil Dev India (Ind)

Batting style	Right-handed batsman (RHB)
Bowling type	Right-arm fast-medium (RFM)
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	131	225
Runs scored	5,248	3,783
Batting average	31.05	23.79
100s/50s	8/27	1/14
Top score	163	175*
Overs bowled	4,623.2	1,867
Wickets	434	253
Bowling average	29.64	27.45
5 wickets in innings	23	1
10 wickets in match	2	N/A
Best bowling	9-83	5-43
Catches/stumpings	64/0	71/0
As of 4 July, 2005 Source: Cricinfo.com

Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj (pronunciation (help·info)) (born 6 January 1959, Chandigarh), better known as Kapil Dev, is an Indian former cricketer who was regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders to have played the game. His most famous achievements were captaining India to their first and only World Cup title in 1983, and holding the record for the most Test match wickets, between 1994 and 1999. He is now retired from the game, but is still involved in the administration.

1 Profile
2 Early charisma
3 Difficult captaincy
4 Records in Test cricket
5 Always an entertainer
6 External links

[edit] Profile

Kapil Dev was a right-arm pace bowler noted for his graceful action and potent outswinger, and was India's main strike bowler throughout most of his career. He also developed a fine inswinging yorker during the 1980s which he used very effectively against tailenders.

As a batsman he was a natural striker of the ball who could hook and drive effectively. A naturally aggressive player, he often helped India in difficult situations by taking the attack to the opposition.

His nickname was The Haryana Hurricane - he used to represent the Haryana cricket team, although he is himself a Punjabi.

[edit] Early charisma

Image:Kapil Dev.gif

Kapil made his international cricket debut against Pakistan at Faisalabad in 1978-79 and became an instant success with the Indian masses when he hit two clean sixes on his way to his first half-century in the 3rd Test of that series. When Pakistan returned for a six-Test series in 1979-80, Kapil was the man of the series and the main factor behind the 2-0 win for India. More success followed in the next season in Australia, where he helped India defend a small second-innings score at Melbourne against a formidable Australian batting line-up. He was the man of the series against England, both in the home series of 1981-82 as well as the "away" series in 1982. Following India's disastrous tour of Pakistan in 1982-83, he was appointed the captain and within a few months of taking over the captaincy, he led India to the World Cup win of 1983. His best bowling analysis of 9/83 came the same year against West Indies at Ahmedabad He has been a great ambassador of the game for India and was adjudged the greatest Indian cricketer of the century by WISDEN. He now aspires to represent India at the international level in GOLF. He released his autobiography "Straight from the heart" in 2005 which gives an emotional albeit comprehensive account of his life as a cricketer and thereafter.

[edit] Difficult captaincy

Kapil lost the captaincy in early 1984. He regained it in March 1985 and guided India on a Test series win over England on their tour in 1986 right till the World Cup 1987 when he faced the blame for India's loss to England in the semifinal, as he holed out to deep mid-wicket triggering a collapse that led to the unexpected loss.

The captaincy period was on the whole a difficult one for him as it was mired with reports of differences with Sunil Gavaskar, as well as his own inconsistent form as a bowler.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Records in Test cricket

Image:Kapil Dev graph.png

By the end of 1983, Kapil already had about 250 Test wickets in just five years and looked well on his way to becoming the greatest wicket taker ever. However, following a knee surgery in 1984, his bowling declined as he lost some of his majestic jump at the crease. He continued to be effective, if not devastating for another ten years and became the second bowler ever to take 400 wickets in Test cricket in 1991-92. In early 1994, he became the highest Test wicket taker in the world, breaking the record held by Richard Hadlee. Kapil's record was broken by Courtney Walsh in 1999. Shane Warne is the current record-holder.

Kapil is the only player to have completed the all-rounder's double of 4,000 Test runs and 400 Test wickets.

[edit] Always an entertainer

Career record	First-class	List A
Matches	275	3099
Runs scored	11,356	5,461
Batting average	42.91	24.50
100s/50s	18/56	2/23
Top score	193	175*
Balls bowled	48,853	14,947
Wickets	835	335
Bowling average	27.09	27.34
5 wickets in innings	39	2
10 wickets in match	3	N/A
Best Bowling	9/83	5/43
Catches/Stumpings	192	99
As of 13 January, 2006 Source: [1] Edit this template

At his best, Kapil was one of the world's most destructive batsman. During the series against Pakistan in 1982-83, he demolished Abdul Qadir's legspin, which the English and Australian batsmen had great difficulty in reading, earlier the same year. His shouting "googles" on reading a googly from Abdul Qadir brought one of the few bright moments for the Indian team during that tour. He was also fearless in taking apart the world's best fast-bowlers, during a World Cup match against West Indies in 1983, he drove Michael Holding straight over his head for a six, a shot that would have been considered unimaginable by most against a bowler of Holding's pace.

In a match on route to the World Cup final of 1983, he smashed a captain's knock of 175 against Zimbabwe helping India recover from a tenuous 17/5. Surprisingly, this was his only ODI hundred. Incidentally, this was also the first century by an Indian in an ODI.

Another memorable incident relates to a Test match against England in 1990. When India needed 24 runs to save the follow-on, Kapil met that target by hitting four consecutive sixes off Eddie Hemmings. This proved to be the right decision, as in the next over itself, the no. 11 batsman was dismissed with no further addition to the score.

A further example of his competitive spirit was during a match against West Indies at Sharjah in November 1986, when he tried to cajole Viv Richards into bowling the last over of the match with India needing 36 runs to win. Unsurprisingly, Viv Richards did not give in to his request!^{[citation needed]}

Kapil's talent as a batsman, as well as his competitive spirit was evident till as late as 1992, when hooked and pulled Allan Donald on his way to a brilliant century when all the frontline Indian batsmen were struggling against Donald's pace.

Preceded by: Sunil Gavaskar	Indian Test cricket captain 1982/83 - 1983/84	Succeeded by: Sunil Gavaskar
Preceded by: Sunil Gavaskar	Indian national cricket captain 1984/85 - 1986-87	Succeeded by: Dilip Vengsarkar

Bowlers who have taken 400 Test wickets
Shane Warne (AUS) \| Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) \| \| Glenn McGrath (AUS) \| Anil Kumble (IND) \| Courtney Walsh (WI) Kapil Dev (IND) \| Richard Hadlee (NZ) \| Wasim Akram (PAK) \| Curtly Ambrose (WI)