PROFILE AND STATS

The fact that India looked for an all-rounder for three quarters of a century before Kapil came to the scene and are now looking for one for a decade after his retirement is testimony to his being the cricketer of the century. Cricketer of the century looks too tame an award for this self-less, hard-working true son of the Indian soil.

Give his the bat or the ball or put him in the field ,his never-say-die attitude always puts him on the top of his game. Or for the matter his Captaincy- Kapil Dev worked harder than any other Indian captain in history, and substantially changed the face of Indian cricket by winning a World Cup, and building an Indian team that will be remembered as a dynasty.

He almost single-handedly led the attack for years at a time when nobody in India knew what pace balling was all about. As for his batting I do agree that it wasn't a beauty to watch but he could certainly time it and hit it mighty hard. He was a team man for whom individual success meant less than it did for Sunil. Sachin may yet beat Kapil, but so far his potential has not quite translated to performance in crunch matches great all-rounder, but a true match winner, which puts him ahead of the likes of Sachin or Sunil. The fighting spirit and positive approach that he showed on the field was a treat to watch.

The 1983 World Cup was a showcase of many facets of Kapil's talent. He inspired each and everyone to give their best and went flat out in every match .Even when the chips were down or should we say "the going was so tough that most players would give up", he refused to give way with-out a fight.

He made 303 runs, took 12 wickets and 7 catches in the World Cup.

ON MOST OCCASIONS IN THE TOURNAMENT HE MADE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDIA WINNING AND LOSING.

Kapil Dev, who time and again in the tournament had excelled with bat and ball, chose the crucial match against Zimbabwe to produce one of the best innings ever seen in World Cup competition. Treating the Zimbabwe bowling with utter contempt, the Indian captain slammed a magnificent 175 off just 138 balls, studded with 16 fours and six sixes. The excellence of this knock is lost to posterity, but its magnitude is preserved in figures: Kapil Dev's 175 came in a total of 266, in which the second highest scorer was Syed Kirmani (unbeaten 24/56).The unbeaten ninth wicket partnership made 126 -- and Kirmani's contribution was a mere 24. Kapil had enough energy left to lead the bowling, with an 11-over spell that produced a mere 32 runs for one wicket

Kapil Dev's name never comes up in any list of cricket strategists, but in the semi-final against England  he was firing on all cylinders.Take his field placement for example, which he tailored to the batsmen concerned, and with his bowling changes -- and nothing so symbolized the latter as his decision to give Kirti Azad a go at Ian Botham. Azad had bowled just two overs in six matches leading up to that point. Here, responding to his captain's call, he produced a spell of 12-1-28-1 that first strangled, then took out England's most dangerous middle order batsman.

In the Final when most people thought everything was lost, Kapil took the famous catch of Viv Richards running backwards.Viv Richards, batting with evident contempt, swept, drove and pulled his way to 33 off 28 deliveries before Kapil Dev imposed himself on the match. Richards pulled at Madan Lal and, thanks to some seam movement, got the ball high on the bat. Kapil, fielding at orthodox midwicket, ran back in seemingly lazy fashion, head turned to see the ball coming from behind him, and plucked off a catch that only he could make appear so simple.

There is so much more to this cricketer. The World Cup 1983 was just one of the many incidents where he excelled. Everyone in some point of their life come across an incredible Phenomenon which is indescribable and makes people at a loss of words . Kapil Dev for me is the one such phenomenon.