The Legends Of The 1983 World Cup Winning Squad

The 1983 World Cup team of India was exceptional and gave India a sport that we truly relinquish every day. The team created one of the biggest moments in India’s sporting history and deserves to be celebrated even today. 

Here’s the list of players who were part of the 1983 India World Cup squad. 

1. KAPIL DEV(C)-(1983 WORLD CUP)

The legendary Kapil Dev born on 6 January 1959, is the reason cricket became so popular in India. Kapil was the captain of the 1983 World Cup Indian Team and played a really crucial role in making India a winner of the 1983 World Cup. His 175* with the bat in a do-or-die game and his key contributions with the ball in the entire tournament were integral. The Haryana Hurricane Kapil Dev’s captaincy and fielding were extraordinary too. He filled a positive energy and belief in his players that India could win the 1983 World Cup.

2. Mohinder Amarnath(Vc)-

Mohinder ‘Jimmy’ Amarnath was the vice-captain of the 1983 World Cup Indian Team. He played as an all-rounder in the team and was exceptional with both bat and ball. He won the Man of the Match award in the semi-final as well as the final. He is considered the finest batsman against the pace of that era. 

3. KIRTI AZAD- 

Kirti Azad played as an all-rounder, he is an aggressive right-hand batter and bowled right-arm off-spin bowling. In the Semi-final against England, his performance was noteworthy when he also bowled the great Ian Botham on a ball that kept both low and turned sharply. 

4. SUNIL GAVASKAR- 

The champion batter from Mumbai, the first-ever Indian to score 10,000 test runs was also a part of the 1983 World Cup squad and was the senior-most batter in the Indian team. He was opening the batting with Srikkanth but he got injured between the tournament and did not play all matches.

5. DILIP VENGSARKAR-

Dilip Vengsarkar born on 6 April 1956 played as a pure batter in the 1983 World Cup team. He was playing well against the West Indies and was not out on 32 when he got injured from a deadly bouncer from Malcolm Marshall.

6. RAVI SHASTRI-

Ravi Shastri, the famous Indian cricketer, was also a part of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad in England. He played the first five league games and also took 3 wickets in the match against the mighty West Indies. 

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7. KRISHNAMACHARI SRIKKANTH- 

Srikkanth popularly known as Cheeka played a huge role in the 1983 World Cup. Opening the batting Srikkanth scored 156 runs in the World Cup and was also the highest run-scorer for India in the World Cup final scoring 38 runs in 57 balls to help India post 183 on the board. Srikkanth is known for his attacking batting and his super-quick knocks are proof of it.

8. YASHPAL SHARMA-

Yashpal Sharma a brilliant middle-order batsman in the 1983 World Cup team was known for his courageous batting. In the group match against West Indies, Sharma scored 89 of 120 balls guiding India to a strong total of 262 runs and an unexpected and historic win. In the big match, the Semi-final against England, Yashpal Sharma again delivered scoring 61 runs when the chips were down.

9. SUNIL VALSON-

Sunil Valson was born on 2nd October 1958 in Secunderabad. He is a former cricketer who got selected in the 1983 World Cup India squad but unfortunately was the only player in the squad who did not play a single match in the entire tournament.

10. BALWINDER SANDHU-

Sandhu had a short career for India, but he played a vital role in the 1983 World Cup. The right-arm medium pacer took 8 wickets and had a very low economy rate in the Prudential World Cup. In the final, Sandhu took 2 wickets, one of Gordon Greenidge and the other of Jeff Dujon.

11. SANDIP PATIL-

Sandip Patil was one of the most impactful cricketers of the 1983 World Cup. He scored 216 runs in 8 matches at an average of 30.85 and a strike rate of 90 in the 1983 World Cup. Patil scored a 54-ball 50 against Zimbabwe and a 32-ball 51 against England in the semi-finals.

12. ROGER BINNY-

Roger Binny was the highest wicket-taker for India in the 1983 World Cup. He scalped 18 wickets in the Prudential Cup and took an impressive four-wicket haul against Australia and also dismissed Clive Lloyd in the final. He also contributed with the bat scoring 73 runs in 6 innings.

13. MADAN LAL-

Madan Lal took 17 wickets in 8 games at an average of 16.76 and at a strike rate of 29.2, his economy was also only 3.43. The big match player took a four-fer in a virtual quarter-final against Australia and a three-wicket haul against West Indies in the Final. He was the most impactful bowler in the tournament. 

14. SYED KIRMANI (WK)-

The wicket-keeper batsman had a decent World Cup with the gloves accounting for 14 dismissals in all. Kirmani also made a memorable partnership with Kapil Dev at Turnbridge Wells when Kapil Dev smashed 175*. Kirmani supported him with a 56-ball 24 at the other end.

CONCLUSION:

The 1983 World Cup Indian Team did extremely well and punched above their weight to lift the World Cup trophy. The World Cup saw Kapil Dev become a national hero and all players gained recognition worldwide. Then the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, and Virat Kohli followed suit to make cricket the greatest game we love.